Reincarnation
by GrnEydDvl
Summary: Before life, there was death. Before Karakura, there was Rukongai. And everyone thinks Hitsugaya Toushiro became a shinigami for Momo. They're not even close. Who's really the raven haired girl that changed his life? HitsuKarin KiyoneSentaro
1. A Chance Meeting

**Yay, new story! See, I promised to get it up fast. And no, I am not ignoring the poll. I have ideas in the works for both the second place winners, but this story bit me and held on tight, so I thought it deserved to get written first. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. I only own my own characters and ideas.**

Sometimes, there is a friendship so strong, it lasts multiple lifetimes. Sometimes, there is a love so powerful, it traverses universes. What happens to a shinigami when he dies? Can you really die _again_? Wasn't he dead to begin with? Is there a Soul Society for those that die in Soul Society? Or is life a never ending wheel, destined to revolve for all eternity, recycling dead souls into new bodies, with a new life, a new face, a new name? If you ask most residents of Seireitei this question, they would say that you got knocked around a bit too much the last time you sparred, and maybe you should go to 4th squad for treatment. No one has ever met a reincarnated soul. That's preposterous. But one can't help but wonder; where do those lost souls go?

oooooooooooooooooo

"Oh my god, I'm so excited, I just can't believe it!" Hinamori Momo sang, running laps around the room and trying to pull on her new red and white uniform at the same time. "I start the Shinigami Academy today! Shiro-chan, aren't you excited for me?!" Said white haired boy simply groaned and pulled the blanket up over his head to drown out Hinamori's energetic chatter.

"Shiro-chan?" she repeated, pausing in the middle of tying her sash. "I said, aren't you excited for me?

"It's too early for this Bed-Wetter Momo," Hitsugaya moaned from his cocoon of blankets. "I'm going back to sleep."

"No you aren't!" she insisted, coming over to him and ripping the blanket off of him. Hitsugaya responded by rolling away from her and curling up into a fetal position.

"Baachan said she would make a special breakfast for me in honor of my first day," Hinamori told him, hand on her hip. "And I know you don't want to miss that!"

"There will be leftovers," Hitsugaya replied, still refusing to open his eyes. "Leave me alone."

"But don't you want to eat with me one last time?" Hinamori pleaded. "After all, I'm moving into the dorms starting today. I won't get to come home that often."

"So?" Hitsugaya grunted, giving up on any hope of more sleep and finally turning to look at her. "You say that like I _want _you to come home? I can't wait until you're gone! Then I'll have the room all to myself." Hinamori put on her best pouty face, but she wasn't really upset. She knew he didn't mean it.

"So you're not going to miss me at all?" she whined, batting her puppy dog eyes.

"No!" Hitsugaya stated firmly, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of his emerald green eyes. "But since I obviously can't sleep with you making such a racket, I guess I'll join you for breakfast."

"Yay!" Hinamori cheered, running over to him and giving a hug.

"Get off me!" Hitsugaya growled, pushing her away.

"Breakfast!" called a voice from the next room.

"Hai!" Hitsugaya and Hinamori recited in unison. They headed out of their tiny bedroom and into the only other room in the house where their grandmother was bustling over a large pot of miso soup sitting over a fire.

"I've got miso, rice, smoked fish, red bean bread, oranges, and of course, fresh watermelon," she said cheerfully, placing food in front of them both. "Momo-chan, you look fantastic!" Hinamori beamed at her.

"Thanks Baachan!" she said happily. Hitsugaya was frowning at the food.

"Baachan," he said with concern, "how did you afford all this?" Although they lived in Rukongai's 1st district, the family was not exactly what you would call wealthy. They did alright for themselves on their Baachan's maid salary, but food was expensive. Hitsugaya in particular had a rather enormous appetite.

"Always the practical one," Baachan said lovingly. "But finances should be none of your concern. We're just fine." She smiled, but Hitsugaya could see the worry in her eyes.

"Besides," she continued to reassure him. "With Momo out of the house, that's one fewer mouth to feed. So why wouldn't I want to send her off with as extravagant a meal as possible! Not that you aren't always welcome back," she said with a laugh.

"See Shiro-chan!" Momo teased, pointing a chopstick at him. "If you came to the Academy with me, Baachan wouldn't have anyone to feed!"

"I'm not going, so shut up about it!" he demanded, ignoring the chopsticks sitting in front of him and attacking his food with his hands. "And stop calling me Shiro-chan!"

"Watch your language," his Baachan reprimanded. "And have you forgotten your table manners already? I didn't think I had raised such a slob." Hitsugaya glared at her. Hinamori giggled.

"Oh I'm going to miss this," she said wistfully.

ooooooooooooooooooo

He did not miss her. He did not miss her. There was nothing to miss! She was just his annoying, bed-wetting, easily excited older sister. Plus, she had only been gone for three days. He did _not _miss her.

Ok, give it up, he missed her.

He sighed. At least, when Hinamori was here, there was someone else around during the day. His Baachan had work. _Someone_ had to clean the Kuchiki manor. And there were no other kids his age in the neighborhood. Oh sure, the people next door had a teenager, biggest stuck up you've ever seen in your life, and the family down the street had a whiny little two year old, but neither of them were Hitsugaya's idea of companions. So, left to his own devices, Hitsugaya did what he did best: walk. Ok, actually _eating_ was probably what he did best, but walking came in at a close second. And I don't mean that he could just physically do it. It was more the distance that was impressive. He had been known to disappear for days on end, just wandering aimlessly. There wasn't a plod of dirt above district 60 that his feet hadn't trodden. But he had never gone below district 60. That was where Hinamori drew the line. But Hinamori wasn't around anymore, so Hitsugaya decided that district 61 would be a nice place to roam around in for a bit. And when that got old, there was always district 62.

So it was that Hitsugaya found himself on the border of district 77.

"Hey kid, get out of the way," snapped a drunk and rather beefy looking man as he stumbled out of a bar and right into Hitsugaya's path. "Why doncha' watch where yer going?"

"Get away from me you smelly old geezer!" Hitsugaya scowled. Ok, so not the smartest thing in the world to do, but hey, the man really did reek.

"What did you say brat?" the man scowled, revealing his yellow and rotting teeth. Hitsugaya almost gagged. Even if his family wasn't rich, they were still well cared for.

"I said," Hitsugaya announced defiantly. "That _you're _in _my_ way." The man glared at him for a moment, then broke into a hearty laugh.

"Oh that's rich!" he howled, then stopped abruptly and swaggered forward.

"Ya know what _I_ think?" he sneered, fumbling several times before finally managing to grasp the hilt of the sword at his waist. "I think yer smart mouth would sound much better if it wasn't attached to yer face no more!" It wasn't until the man had his sword raised high above his head that Hitsugaya realized that the man wasn't kidding.

"RUN!" shouted a voice, and before Hitsugaya realized what was happening, a hand had closed around his wrist and he was yanked away just as the sword swung down, barely grazing his unruly hair as it did so. The hand didn't stop pulling, and he followed it away from the scene and down several alleyways before he had a chance to look at the person attached to it. It was a girl, several years older than him, with shoulder length raven colored hair that was raged at the ends, as if she had cut it herself with a dull knife and no mirror. Her short brown kimono was horribly tattered and stained. The bottom was all frayed and there were multiple patches gracing the sides, but clearly not enough of them as there were still several holes in it and other areas that were so thinned out, he could see right through them anyway. She wore no shoes, but, even though they were running over sharp cobblestones and broken glass from countless sake bottles that even he could feel through his sandaled feet, she didn't appear to notice. The bottoms of her feet were that tough. There was an old and battered sword strung across her back, but Hitsugaya got the impression that it was more for show than anything else.

After they had been running for several minutes, Hitsugaya wrested his arm out of the girl's grip, and doubled over, gasping for breath.

"Stop…running," he panted. The girl looked at him quizzically.

"You're not from around here are you?" she asked, taking in his un-patched kimono, sandals, and lack of stamina. "Kids around here are a bit more…hearty."

"What about me isn't hearty?" Hitsugaya retorted, having finally caught his breath. The girl smirked.

"Oh, I don't know, the fact that you're so out of shape you can't even run for a few minutes without losing it." Hitsugaya scowled.

"Who the hell needs to run that much anyway?" he cursed. The girl chuckled.

"Definitely not from around her," she noted. "Was that the first time you've ever run for your life?" Hitsugaya stared at her blankly.

"What the hell do you mean, run for your life? Who's after your life?" The girl shrugged.

"Who isn't? So where are you from anyway?"

"1st district," he replied casually. The girl's eyes opened wide in shock and her jaw fell open.

"The heck? Then what _on earth_ are you doing here?" It was Hitsugaya's turn to shrug.

"Taking a walk. Is that a crime?" The girl was still flabbergasted.

"I don't know what they teach you spoiled rich kids up there, but 77th district is _not_ a place you just go for a stroll in!" Hitsugaya scowled.

"I _am not_ a spoiled rich kid!" he insisted. He knew spoiled rich kids. Oh, did he know spoiled rich kids. Little nobles running around, thinking they were better than everyone else just because they had important titles attached to their names. What good was a title if it wasn't _earned_? The girl gave him an incredulous look.

"Alright then, if you say you're not a spoiled rich kid, prove it." Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"I've got nothing to prove to you!" he stated flatly. "Besides, I didn't promise anything. I don't owe you a thing."

"I saved your life." Hitsugaya opened his mouth to retort, then closed it again. She had a point.

"So what do you want from me?" he asked grudgingly. The girl smirked.

"We're having a game soon. Will you play on our team?"

"Game?" Hitsugaya asked confused. He didn't play games. Games were for babies.

"Soccer game," the girl explained. "The ruffians from district 78 challenged us and we couldn't refuse. We've still got our pride. It's supposed to be four on four, but one of my teammates kicked the bucket last week, so we're down a man. I can't find anyone else who's willing to go out there, but seeing as you not only thought that district 77 was a nice place for a walk, but also picked a fight with a drunk five times your size, I think you might have the guts." Hitsugaya gaped at her. Maybe it was the way she pushed aside her friend's death so easily, like it was such a regular occurrence that it didn't even affect her. Maybe it was because she thought he _wanted_ to come back here after everything he had seen. Or maybe it was because she assumed that he knew what soccer was.

"What's soccer?" he asked, deciding that the other things were just not worth getting into.

"Are you kidding me?!" the girl cried, slapping herself in the forehead. "I thought _at least_ spoiled rich kids knew how to play _soccer_!"

"I told you, I am not a spoiled rich kid!" Hitsugaya shouted, but the girl wasn't paying any attention to him anymore. She was counting on her fingers and mumbling to herself.

"Haku is out, his leg's still broken, Izumi said he'd rather die than set foot in 78th district, Tomiko's been MIA since last Tuesday…"

"Oi," Hitsugaya said, starting to get annoyed at being ignored.

"Izumi then," the girl concluded, turning to leave. Hitsugaya was affronted.

"Oi!" he said louder. "I'm still here!" The girl turned back to him.

"Your point being?" she asked. What was this girl playing at?

"I thought you wanted me on your team," he reminded her. The girl grinned.

"Yeah, but that was when I thought you had at least _heard _of the game. There's no point in you playing if you don't know how."

"I could learn," Hitsugaya suggested. He didn't know what it was, but he liked this girl. She had a certain air about her that Hinamori never did. Like she meant business. Like she took what life threw at her and dealt with it, without wallowing in self pity. He almost felt like he respected her. Naw, that couldn't be. Hitsugaya Toushiro doesn't respect anyone but himself. But this girl was making a valiant effort.

The girl considered him with an amused look on her face. It seemed like she was sizing him up. Hitsugaya returned her gaze with a glare of his own, but that only seemed to increase the girl's entertainment.

"All right then," she said after a while. "But you'd better learn quickly. I'm not wasting my time on you if you just turn out to be a pansy."

"I'm no pansy!" Hitsugaya shot back. The girl grinned.

"I never said that you were," she replied airily. And with that she started walking away and Hitsugaya did the only logical thing he could think of and he followed her.

After they had been walking for several minutes, the girl turned to him.

"So what's the deal?" she asked as if they had been in the middle of a conversation. "You got a name or what?"

"It's Hitsugaya," he replied. "Hitsugaya Toushiro." The girl smiled at him.

"I'm Karin. I don't have a last name and I don't need one. Last names are for spoiled rich kids." Hitsugaya scowled and Karin laughed.

"At least this kid's amusing," she thought to herself.

**Before you yell at me about Hitsugaya being OOC, remember that he is still a kid in Rukongai and that he was a total brat back then. This story is as much about Hitsugaya growing up as it is about his relationship with Karin.**

**Please tell me what you think of this. It's a very different twist on their relationship, but I think it will be fun to write nonetheless.  
**


	2. Rotten Fish and Spoiled Rich Kids

**Wow, thank you all so much! I've never had so many reviews for the first chapter of a story, so thanks a ton for your support! I really really appreciate it! I hope this story meets with all your expectations.**

Hitsugaya took a deep breath. He wound up, pulled his foot back, and swung. And missed. By a mile. Karin shook her head.

"Maybe you just weren't cut out for this," she sighed.

"Shut up!" Hitsugaya spat, going to retrieve the soccer ball. "I'll get it eventually!" Karin smirked.

"You've got sprit, spoiled rich kid, I'll give you that." Hitsugaya scowled.

"I'm not a spoiled rich kid!" he shouted. Karin shrugged.

"Whatever." Hitsugaya returned with the ball and placed it in front of him, aiming towards the makeshift goal. They had been at it for hours. First, Karin had explained the rules of the game and the basic style of play. That was the easy part. The hard part was actually making the stupid ball go where he wanted it. That was taking some effort.

"You're trying too hard," Karin explained, looking at the strain on his face and sweat pouring down his brow (as previously mentioned, his stamina was not what it could have been). "You get too worked up. It's got to be more natural. Let your power flow from your hip, not your foot. Forget the ball is even there and just swung your leg out, pointing it in the direction you want the ball to go. It should be no harder than walking really." Walking. Now there was something Hitsugaya understood. With this new philosophy in mind, Hitsugaya calmed himself, aimed, and fired. Although he missed the goal, it was by a much narrower margin than the last time.

"Much better!" Karin praised. "Maybe there's hope for you after all!" Hitsugaya scoffed.

Just then, two people appeared in the empty lot they were using as a soccer field. One was a short girl with cropped blond hair and a pointed chin. The other was a boy twice her size with spiky black hair that defied gravity in a way Hitsugaya thought no one's but his own did. They were passing a basket back and forth and arguing about something. As they came closer however, Hitsugaya could see that they weren't so much passing the basket as grabbing it out of one another's hands.

"I said _I_ wanted to give it to her lame brain!" the girl cried, snatching the basket.

"Tough luck fatso!" the boy replied. "I found it so I'm going to give it to her!" He lunged for the basket and managed to retrieve it. The girl swelled in indignation.

"I am not fat!" she screamed. "And you only found it because I suggested we look there, so _I'm_ going to give it to her!" She grabbed the basket and pulled, but the boy refused to relinquish his hold, and finally, a ripping sound reverberated through the air and the basket was torn in two. Its contents, which were carefully wrapped in rags, flew everywhere. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Oi, you two, stop flirting already and just let me see what you found." She approached one of the bundles of rags and unwrapped it. Hitsugaya's face scrunched up at the sudden assault to his nose. The odor was emanating from the items in Karin's hand, an old fish and some rotten fruit. While he would have dismissed it instantly as trash, she was staring at it like it was gold.

"Where did you guys find this?!" she asked amazed. The blond girl puffed up proudly.

"It was my idea!" she said smugly. "The dumpster behind old man Tetsuya's house always has interesting stuff in it!"

"Hey!" the boy beside her yelled. "I was the one that dug through the garbage to find it! You just stood guard."

"Oh yeah!" the girl retorted. "Well, what if I hadn't stood guard and old man Tetsuya had found you? His sword's sharp! I've got the scars to prove it!" They glared daggers at each other until they were interrupted by a ball of rags that Karin had thrown at them.

"Will you give it a rest already?" Karin groaned. "Honestly, you two make me want to gag. Save your love talk for later and let's eat." They agreed wholeheartedly and sat down, each taking their own bundle of spoiled food, which they began to eat with gusto. Hitsugaya felt himself turning slightly green.

"I'll just…um," he tried to come up with an excuse to leave, but he was too nauseated by the sight to think properly. It was then that Karin seemed to remember his presence.

"Oh, sorry I forgot. Want some?" she offered, holding up a worm eaten apple. Hitsugaya shook his head, afraid that if he opened his mouth, he'd vomit.

"Suit yourself," she replied, devouring the apple in three bites. Hitsugaya gagged.

The blond girl was looking at Hitsugaya with interest.

"Hey Karin," she asked. "Who's your new friend? I haven't seen him around here before." Karin gasped.

"Oh, sorry, where are my manners. I forgot to introduce you. Kiyone, Sentaro, this is spoiled rich kid. Spoiled rich kid, meet Kiyone and Sentaro."

"Pleased to meet ya!" Kiyone said brightly. Sentaro nodded at him, his mouth too full to speak. Hitsugaya scowled.

"I'm not a spoiled rich kid!" he snarled. Karin laughed.

"Yeah yeah, so you've said, but anyone from 1st district is a spoiled rich kid in my book." Hitsugaya scoffed.

"You're from 1st district?" Kiyone marveled, her eyes opening wide. "What's it like up there?"

"It's alright," Hitsugaya replied noncommittally.

"What are you doing all the way down here then, spoiled rich kid?" Sentaro asked having finally swallowed his food.

"It's Hitsugaya!" he shouted angrily and Karin chuckled.

"He thought it'd be a nice place for a walk," she answered for him. Kiyone and Sentaro burst into laughter and Hitsugaya scowled.

"So why don't you want to eat with us?" Sentaro asked. Hitsugaya looked down at the moldy food in front of him.

"I'm not hungry," he said, trying not to look as disgusted as he felt.

"What, don't tell me you don't get hungry?!" Karin said astonished. "I thought everyone in 1st district got hungry!"

"Well, not everyone," Hitsugaya corrected. "And yeah, I do get hungry, I'm just not right…" He was about to say "now", but was interrupted by an enormous growl courtesy of his stomach. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, and it was nearly dinner time. The trio gaped at him.

"Sound's like you're hungry to me," Kiyone noted.

"Oh, so our food isn't good enough for you spoiled rich kid?!" Karin teased. "I see how it is."

"Sorry if I think you should be the one to eat your food!" he shot back, missing the joke entirely. "I've got plenty at home!" It took him a minute to realize how stupid a thing that was to say. These kids weren't eating rotten fish because they _wanted_ to.

"Oh so that's how it is?" she replied, a look of twisted understanding dawning on her face. "You spoiled rich kids get to eat whatever you want whenever you want. I bet you've never dug around in the trash for your dinner once in your entire life!"

"Sorry," he apologized quickly. "I didn't mean…"

"Oh right, you forgot did you? Forgot that you're in 77th district now and that this here is the first meal we've had in _three days_!" Hitsugaya felt horrible, so he did what any brat would do in this situation; be a brat.

"Then why the hell did you want to share with me?!" he cried. "This is _your_ food."

"I was being polite Toushiro. Don't they teach you any manners where you come from? Or are spoiled rich kids above such trivial things?" Hitsugaya scowled. His Baachan was always trying to teach him manners. He unfortunately, had no interest in them.

Suddenly, their little spat was interrupted by Kiyone and Sentaro, who simultaneously burst into laughter.

"Boy," Sentaro gasped, "for someone who's always telling Kiyone and I not to flirt, you're doing a pretty good job of it yourself." Karin turned red as a radish.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded. "I am _not_ flirting with him!"

"Definitely not!" Hitsugaya agreed. "Why the hell would I flirt with a girl like her?" Karin pushed him.

"Watch your language!" she reprimanded. "You've been swearing up a storm all day!" Kiyone and Sentaro's laughter increased.

"Sounds like flirting to me!" Kiyone stated smartly. Hitsugaya growled.

"I can see when I'm not wanted." He turned to leave, but Karin wouldn't let him.

"I thought you were going to play soccer with us," she reminded him. He glared back at her over his shoulder.

"Not if you're going to treat me like…"

"A spoiled rich kid?" Karin supplied. Hitsugaya had had enough.

"Look you!" he barked, approaching her and shoving his face into hers. "Let's get one thing straight. I am _not_ a spoiled rich kid. I may come from 1st district, but it's not like I live in the lap of luxury. My Baachan's a maid. Yes we always have enough to eat, but often it's just rice and whatever sauce we can scrounge up to put on it. I don't live in a mansion or anything, but a little two room house. That's all. So stop comparing me to those stuck up, snobby, hoity toity little heirs. Because I'm not one of them!" Karin continued to glare at him.

"Well, having rice at every meal instead of moldy fruit every couple of days and a two room house to live in rather than that tree over there sounds like the lap of luxury to me," she retorted. "But fine. I see your point. I'll stop calling you a spoiled rich kid if you promise to stay and help with the soccer game."

"Are you sure you still want me?" Hitsugaya asked suspiciously. "I stink."

"You're better than you think you are," Karin said encouragingly. "No, seriously. You've learned faster than anyone I've ever taught. Besides, I told you we were desperate and I wasn't lying. So we want you on our team. Even if you are a spoiled rich kid."

"Hey!" Hitsugaya snapped, and Karin laughed.

"Oh, lighten up and learn to take a joke Toushiro!" she chided. Kiyone and Sentaro could only laugh at the annoyed look on Hitsugaya's face.

**Yes, this is Kiyone and Sentaro, co-3****rd**** seats of 13****th**** squad, but this is them before they were in the Gotei 13 (obviously). I just didn't want to make up too many new characters, and I've never written with them before, so I thought it might be fun to try. Sorry if this is a slow start, but I want to get the characters developed a little bit, mainly so you can contrast it with how they grow up later.  
**


	3. The Infamous Soccer Match

**Sorry about the last chapter, I know it was kind of boring. But I promise things get a lot more fun from here on out, so I hope I haven't lost your interest already :) Anyway, on with the story.**

After that, Hitsugaya spent every day in 77th district, playing soccer with Karin, Kiyone, and Sentaro. Karin somehow managed to postpone the match so that he could practice, despite her concerns that one of them would die before the actual day of the game.

"Don't be so morbid!" Hitsugaya yelled when Karin told him that. She simply shrugged.

"I'm just saying it's a possibility," she replied casually. "Just learn how to play!" As a matter of fact, he _was_ learning how to play. And play well. He improved much faster than he ever expected to in the few months he had been practicing and his stamina increased with impressive speed. He was naturally agile and tough, and he actually found the game to be rather fun.

"Wow," Karin marveled one day as he scored a particularly spectacular goal. "You've really got the hang of this! But can you do this? Sentaro!" Sentaro took his cue and sent a ball flying directly towards her head. Karin waited until the last moment, then jumped high into the air, flipped upside-down, and sent the ball sailing exactly midway between the two rocks they were using as goal posts. Karin landed gracefully and smirked at Hitsugaya, who was staring at her like he had never seen anything like her.

"Aw, close your mouth," she teased. "You look like a dead fish."

"Do not!" Hitsugaya retorted, coming back to his senses immediately.

"Do to!" she insisted. "Oh quiet down!" she yelled at Kiyone and Sentaro who had started to chuckle.

"So," she said, turning back to Hitsugaya. "You want to try my patented signature move?"

"Why not," Hitsugaya said with a casual shrug. "It can't be that hard?" Karin's lip curled.

"You asked for it!" she cried, then kicked the ball straight at his head. Hitsugaya froze for the tiniest second, then gathered up his strength and jumped. He missed the ball entirely and landed on his butt mid-flip.

"Ow!" he whined as Karin burst into laughter. "Shut up!" he barked.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get it eventually," she said in mock encouragement. "And quit swearing." Hitsugaya stuck out his tongue at her.

ooooooooooooooooo

And so, the day of the infamous match arrived. The foursome tromped over the border to 78th district, although not without some apprehension.

"It's a little scary," Kiyone said nervously, casting furtive glances around her.

"Scaredy cat," Sentaro teased and Kiyone shot him an angry look.

"I am not a scaredy cat!" she asserted.

"Oh, of course you're not!" Sentaro replied haughtily. Kiyone looked like she was about to explode.

"Oh, pipe down both of you!" Karin said in exasperation. "Toush here comes down from 1st district every day and he's not the least bit intimidated." She flashed him a smile and Hitsugaya scowled. While it was true that he had spent every day for the past few months in 77th district, all the hype over venturing further out had made him a bit uneasy. But he shook it off. Hitsugaya Toushiro wasn't scared of anything.

"Besides," Karin continued, patting the sword strung across her back. "I've got our protection right here." Hitsugaya studied the sword. Karin never let it out of her sight, but he never for one second believed that she could use it. He always assumed it was just for decoration, or at least as an attempt to deter would-be attackers.

"Yeah right!" he mocked. "Like you can really use that thing." Karin rounded on him.

"Don't underestimate me spoiled rich kid!" she snapped, a grin spreading across her face. "I've done more damage with this thing than you care to imagine." Kiyone nodded her head fervently.

"It's true," she acknowledged. "She saved my life just a few days before you showed up."

"She was saving _my_ life!" Sentaro retorted. Karin rolled her eyes.

"I saved both your skins that day, and I don't want to have to do it again today. So quit flirting and pay more attention to your surroundings!"

"Yes ma'am!" they said, saluting like soldiers. Karin shook her head in annoyance, but she smiled nonetheless.

"They hero worship me, those two," she whispered to Hitsugaya.

"I've noticed," he replied, watching as Kiyone and Sentaro peeled their eyes and took up the position of lookouts.

Eventually, they reached a large vacant lot that looked relatively similar to the one they had just left in 77th district. The grass was torn up from the pounding of feet and there were stones marking the goals.

"This is it," Karin said, surveying the area. "But where are…"

"Hey, you showed up!" said a voice behind them, and they turned to see four burly guys sauntering towards them. They were at least twice their size. Hitsugaya faltered for only a second, but he quickly puffed himself up and put a proper scowl on his face. He wasn't afraid of them!

"You thought we wouldn't Hiroshi?" Karin asked boldly. "We've been training. We're going to destroy you." The guy named Hiroshi smirked, then noticed Hitsugaya. He leaned over and shoved his oversized face into Hitsugaya's.

"Fresh blood?" he asked curiously. "What happened to that other squirt you were playing with?"

"Dead," Karin said simply. Hiroshi shrugged, and again, Hitsugaya was startled by how easily people around here accepted death as a fact of life.

"Doesn't matter," Hiroshi brushed it off. "We're not going to lose to the likes of you. Bet still on?" he asked, casting Karin a wary eye.

"Of course!" she stated, crossing her arms. "Otherwise our victory wouldn't be nearly as sweet!" Hiroshi laughed.

"Less talking more kicking," he goaded. "You punks ready?" The other trolls on the district 78 team nodded greedily, and the eight took their places on the field.

"Go!" Hiroshi shouted, tossing the ball high into the air. It landed and Karin quickly gained control. She maneuvered easily around Hiroshi and headed towards the goal. She twisted around an opponent, then passed the ball to Sentaro who kicked with all his might and the ball sailed through the goalie's hands and into the net.

"Yes!" Karin cheered as Kiyone squealed her delight from her place in the goal. Hiroshi smirked.

"It's not over yet!" he cried, kicking the ball two thirds of the way down the field to a teammate. He dribbled the ball, heading straight for the goal. Kiyone braced herself. Hitsugaya tried to steal the ball, but was thwarted by a sudden stop on the dribbler's part and he lost his balance and face-planted in the dirt.

"Get up!" Karin ordered, but by the time Hitsugaya was on his feet, the ball had already flown over Kiyone's head and into the goal.

"Sorry," Hitsugaya said grudgingly as Karin went to retrieve the ball.

"Don't be sorry, just don't do it again!" she commanded, kicking the ball to Sentaro. Sentaro passed to Hitsugaya, who passed to Karin, who passed back to Hitsugaya, who scored. Karin ran up to him and smacked him on the back.

"Well done Toush!" she beamed at him. Hiroshi took the ball and kicked it to one of his teammates, but Sentaro jumped into the air, stopping the ball's progression with his chest and passed it quickly to Hitsugaya. Karin raced towards the goal to set up for the next play. Once she was in scoring range, Hitsugaya sent the ball speeding towards her, all set up for her signature move. But before it reached her, something that wasn't the ball made contact with Karin's leg; Hiroshi. He regained his balance as Karin collapsed under her own weight, clutching her knee in pain, and the ball landed easily in the goalie's hands. Hitsugaya, Kiyone, and Sentaro rushed to Karin's side.

"Karin, are you alright?" Kiyone asked in concern. Karin couldn't respond. She was too busy trying to apply pressure to her rapidly swelling knee. Nearby, Hiroshi snickered.

"Aw, are you out already?" he asked in a pretend baby voice. "And here your team was doing so well!" Karin shot him a death glare.

"I can still play!" she insisted. She tried to stand, but couldn't support her own weight and fell to the ground again.

"Karin, don't be stupid!" Kiyone pleaded.

"We can do it without you!" Sentaro said fervently. "Just sit out."

"You're injured," Hitsugaya noted with concern. "You shouldn't be doing this anymore."

"This is nothing!" she insisted, trying and failing to stand for the second time. "I can still play!"

"No you can't," Hitsugaya stated firmly. "Sit out Karin. We'll be fine." Karin glared at him. Her knee was now twice its normal size and she knew that she wouldn't be able to stand, let alone play.

"Fine," she accepted grudgingly. "But if we lose, it's on _your_ shoulders Toush!"

"Why me?" he yelled. Karin simply grinned.

"Wow, you really need to learn to take a joke, spoiled rich kid," she teased. Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "But I will hold you responsible if we lose."

"Leave it to me!" he promised.

"Oi, are we playing or what?" Hiroshi barked. Hitsugaya whipped around to face him, growl at the ready, but Karin put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't pick a fight," she advised. "Just show him what you can do." Hitsugaya nodded. He and Sentaro carried Karin off the field, then returned to their places with renewed determination.

The loss of their best player however overwhelmed their fighting spirit, and they quickly gave up two more points.

"What are we playing to again?" Hitsugaya asked Sentaro as they ran up the field.

"Four," he replied. "It's 3-2 right now, their lead."

"I know that," Hitsugaya mumbled under his breath. Hiroshi had the ball. He ran towards the goal with a triumphant look on his face. Kiyone took a stance, ready to block the ball as best she could, but Hitsugaya knew that she wasn't going to be able to stop it. He raced as fast as he could to put himself between Hiroshi and the goal. As he was reaching his destination, Hiroshi launched the ball into the air, where it whizzed towards the goal on a trajectory that was high above Hitsugaya's head. He knew Kiyone had no hope. He also knew that he couldn't reach it from his current height. Without thinking, he jumped in the air, flipped upside-down, and kicked the ball with all his might; Karin's signature move! Kiyone stood there with her mouth hanging open and Karin and Sentaro were cheering, but unfortunately, Hitsugaya had sent the ball directly towards Hiroshi, who immediately put it back into play. Karin came to her senses first.

"Toush, look out!" she screamed, but it was too late. Before he could fully regain his balance, Hiroshi had sped around him and sent the ball flying past Kiyone at lightning speed. Sentaro stopped cheering mid whoop, and Kiyone's mouth fell open again. It took a moment for Hitsugaya to register what had happened, but the shouts and cheers from the other team alerted him to the unfortunate truth; they had lost.

**Just in case you were confused, "Toush" is Karin's new nickname for Hitsugaya (short for Toushiro), but he doesn't mind it nearly as much as Shiro-chan (which will become evident in the next chapter). She means it as a term of affection and it is not meant to tease him. She still uses "spoiled rich kid" for that.**


	4. Winnings and Watermelon Seeds

**Do you people not like this story? I'm kind of getting that impression. I'm sorry, I know it started out a bit slow, but it's going to be really long, so don't despair!**

"Sorry," Hitsugaya said gloomily as he approached Karin.

"Whatever," she scoffed. He could tell that she was angry, but more at the situation than at him. They watched Hiroshi's team celebrate for a bit. Then he sauntered over to them.

"Hey losers, pay up!" Hiroshi demanded, holding out his hand.

"What, like we've got it on us now?" Karin said annoyed. "That wasn't part of the deal!" Hiroshi stiffened.

"You'd better get us our winnings, or else…"

"Or else what, Hiroshi?" Karin threatened. Hiroshi's face turned red.

"Don't worry," Karin continued grudgingly. "You'll get your winnings. A bet's a bet and you know I'm true to my word. But you might just have to wait until my knee gets better. And don't complain!" she preempted as Hiroshi opened his mouth to retort. "It's your fault my knee's like this. Come on guys, let's leave this dump." Hitsugaya and Sentaro each wrapped an arm around Karin's shoulders and supported her away from the field.

"Sorry," Hitsugaya said again. Karin glared at him.

"Oh, don't take all the credit," she chided. "It's thanks to you we got to play at all. Besides, I'm the one who got injured."

"Yeah, but that was Hiroshi's fault," Kiyone pointed out. Karin scoffed.

"It doesn't matter whose fault it was, we lost and we have to pay the price."

"But where are we going to get a week's worth of food?" Sentaro groaned. "We can barely scrounge enough to stay alive, even with Hitsugaya's help."

"Food!" Hitsugaya thought. "_That_ was what the prize was?" As Sentaro said, Hitsugaya had been bringing anything he could get his hands on to help his friends. He always had a big appetite anyway, so his Baachan didn't really think much of it when he took more food than usual. Luckily, she didn't seem to realize that Hinamori was really gone, so she had been preparing for an extra person, but he still wished he could do more to help. But there was no way he could come up with a week's worth of food for them. Not on his Baachan's salary.

"I'm sorry guys," he apologized, "but there's nothing I can…"

"Oh yes there is!" Karin exclaimed, her face lighting up with sudden inspiration.

"Look, I know I have more money than you do, but there is no way I can afford all that!" Hitsugaya yelled. Karin grinned evilly.

"But didn't I tell you I would hold you responsible if we lost?" She started laughing at the look on his face.

"Just kidding! No, but seriously, you can help us. You didn't really think we were planning on buying the food did you?" Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"What's on your mind Karin?" Sentaro asked curiously.

"Well," she mused. "Toush, you said your Baachan worked for the Kuchiki's right?"

"Yeah," Hitsugaya agreed, wondering where on earth she was going with this.

"And nobles always have plenty of extra food lying around right?" she continued.

"I get it!" Kiyone said, understanding dawning on her face. "Karin you're a genius!"

"I was just going to tell her that!" Sentaro snapped at her. Karin ignored their bickering and looked at Hitsugaya who was still confused.

"With your help," she explained, "we're going to break into the Kuchiki manor and steal their food. It shouldn't be too hard, we've nicked tons of food before, and with four of us helping and you…"

"No," Hitsugaya stated soundly. "No way am I helping with this. It's too dangerous." Karin put on a large, exaggerated frown.

"Aw, is the spoiled rich kid afraid of getting into trouble?" she mocked. "Does it go against your morals to…"

"Stealing is just wrong!" Hitsugaya interrupted. Karin sighed.

"Look Toush, I understand that where you come from, you can pay for every meal but you've got to remember where you are now. Look around you! Everyone here has to steal. It's the only way to stay alive. We're going to go through with this whether you join us or not. But first, we have to wait for my knee to heal. That'll give us some time to plan, and I'm not breaking in anywhere until I can run properly." They walked the rest of the way in silence, trying in vain to drown out Kiyone and Sentaro's argument, each lost in their own thoughts. Karin was developing the outline of a plan while Hitsugaya was wondering vaguely how he ended up in this situation.

"There's no way I'm going to do it!" he assured himself. But he looked back at his three new friends, particularly the girl he was supporting, and knew that he really had no choice. If he didn't help them, he knew Karin would never speak to him again, and he wasn't willing to just throw her out of his life so easily. He sighed.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he asked himself.

ooooooooooooooooooo

It took Karin's knee a whole six months to heal to the point where she felt it was safe to attempt a raid on the Kuchiki manor. That, or risk having it reinjured by an irritated Hiroshi who was getting impatient waiting for his food, despite Karin's reminders that he caused the stupid injury in the first place.

"It was an accident," was all he could say as Karin shouted at him. "Just pay up or pay the price. You can walk."

Hitsugaya meanwhile continued to hang out with his new friends almost every day. He really had nothing better to do and besides, soccer was kind of fun, even if Karin couldn't play very well, owing to her injury. But today, he had stayed home. Hinamori was visiting from the Shinigami Academy and, even though he would never admit it out loud, he wanted to see her.

They sat on the porch, devouring an enormous pile of watermelons that their Baachan had provided for the occasion. Hitsugaya pretended not to listen as Hinamori babbled about her life at school.

"Gosh, are you listening, Shiro-chan?" Hinamori whined.

"I told you to quit calling me Shiro-chan!" he insisted through a mouth full of watermelon. He spit his seeds at her, smiling inside at her shriek.

"And why do you come back every time you get a day off?" he asked. "Is there that little to do at shinigami school?"

"Hey, I come here to hang out with you," she moaned.

"No one asked you too," he replied offhandedly. They chatted for a little while longer, Hitsugaya pausing every once in a while to spit out seeds.

"Hey Bed-Wetter Momo," he said, pointing at a clump of bushes. "I bet I can spit a seed all the way over there!" Hinamori pouted.

"You're so vulgar Shiro-chan," she chided, but Hitsugaya ignored her. Taking aim, he shot a string of seeds all the way over to the bush.

"Ewww!" cried the bush. Hinamori screamed but Hitsugaya just slapped his forehead.

"You blew our cover you stupid girl!" the bush cried.

"Who's stupid!" the bush yelled back at itself. "You'd think it was gross too if you got hit full in the face with a bunch of watermelon seeds."

"Oi, Kiyone, Sentaro, I can hear you you know," Hitsugaya called, and three people emerged from the bush, two looking sheepish, and one looking pissed.

"I knew I shouldn't have brought these idiots along," Karin said, glaring at her friends, who at least had the decently to look ashamed.

"How did you find me?" Hitsugaya asked, although he was more amused than anything. He had always visited them, but they had never once left 77th district to come and see him. "And what are you doing here?" Karin grinned.

"With reiatsu like that, it'd be harder not to find you Toush," she teased, coming over to him and ruffling his hair. "You're a right little shinigami when it comes to that." Hitsugaya scowled and pushed her hand away.

"I am _not_ a shinigami!" he stated angrily.

"And to answer your second question," Karin continued, ignoring his comment, "we're here because it's time. Hiroshi won't wait any longer." She didn't elaborate on what it was time for, presumably because of the presence of Hinamori, but Hitsugaya knew exactly what she was talking about.

"It's got to be today?" he moaned. Why today, of all days? This was only Hinamori's third visit home, and she had been gone for almost a year.

"Yeah," Karin replied. "Or Hiroshi's gonna break my other knee. You coming?" Hitsugaya looked over at his rather confused sister.

"Something came up," he answered, thinking about what Hinamori would say if she knew where he was going. "Sorry I can't help out." Karin glared at him.

"And what exactly is so important that you're ditching us…"

"Watermelon!" cried Kiyone, cutting Karin off in the middle of her tirade. Kiyone bounded over to the towering stack of pink fruit, staring at it like she had just found the fountain of youth.

"Help yourself!" Hinamori said happily.

"Thanks!" Kiyone beamed before digging in.

"Don't hog it!" Sentaro reprimanded before grabbing a slice himself. Karin seemed torn between finishing shouting at Hitsugaya and taking a piece herself.

"Eat," Hitsugaya advised. "Then we'll talk." Karin debated for a minute, but hunger won out and she grabbed a piece and tore away at it greedily. Hinamori laughed.

"Who are your new friends Shiro-chan?" she asked. "They have hearty little appetites." Karin snorted into her watermelon.

"Shiro-chan," she murmured and Hitsugaya turned as pink as the fruit.

"If you even start…" he threatened, but Karin brushed it off.

"Naw, you'll always be spoiled rich kid to me!" she said triumphantly. Hitsugaya scowled.

"This is Karin, Kiyone, and Sentaro," Hitsugaya introduced his friends. He decided to leave out the fact that they were from district 77, as that would require explaining how he met them, which would mean admitting to Hinamori that he spent every day in that war zone.

"Nice to meet you!" Hinamori said politely.

"Same here!" Sentaro said, juice pouring out of the corners of his mouth which was practically overflowing with watermelon. Kiyone could only nod in response, since her mouth was too full to even make a sound. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Slobs, the both of you. Anyway, I'm Karin. You're friend here has a mean little kick," she said, indicating Hitsugaya. Hinamori looked shocked.

"Shiro-chan!" she gasped. "You've been fighting?!"

"Soccer kick, Bed-Wetter," he corrected. "It's a game. And quit calling me Shiro-chan!"

"You play games now!?" Hinamori said, even more stunned than before. "Karin-chan, what have you done to this boy?" Hitsugaya glared daggers at her and Karin burst into laughter.

"Oh, look at the time!" Hinamori exclaimed suddenly, looking up to see the sunset. "I didn't realize how late it was! I have to be back before dark. By Shiro-chan! By Shiro-chan's friends!" She waved goodbye and dashed off, leaving the four friends to finish the watermelon, which took surprisingly little time.

"Now that we're all full," Karin announced, "it's time to do what we came here to do. Shiro-chan, you're coming with us! You've got no excuse anymore."

"I do if you call me Shiro-chan!" he retorted. Karin chuckled.

"Ok, spoiled rich kid. Is that better?" Hitsugaya scowled, but grudgingly followed them towards the Kuchiki manor.

**The next chapter will be MEGA important, so look forward to it :)**


	5. The Kuchiki Manor

**Just a final reminder for those of you who still haven't voted, the 2008 Torin Awards are going on right now, organized by SHIROUchan99 and Nokas-Kokas. Slacking101. Vote for your favorite HitsuKarin stories in a variety of different categories. Voting closes on July 28****th****, so this is your last chance! Winners will be announced on the 30****th****. The voting is available at fanfiction. net/forum/TheAnnualTorinAwardForum/49024/ (take out the space between fanfiction and the rest, or see the URL on my homepage). Any questions should be directed to SHIROUchan99 or Nokas-Kokas. Slacking101.**

**And now back to your regularly scheduled program.**

They waited until night had really fallen before attempting the break in.

"Alright," Hitsugaya directed. "The service entrance is hidden behind that bush so that no one sees the servants coming and going. It's locked most of the time, but it should be open around now, since the day and night shifts are switching." This was why Hitsugaya was so vital to this plan. He knew much more about the Kuchiki manor than the other three, having heard lots of stories from his Baachan. He had even visited it once. It was many years, when he was much younger, and he had been ill, so his Baachan strapped him on her back and brought him to work with her rather than leave him at home. While that had been many years ago, Hitsugaya's memory was impeccable.

Kiyone was on scouting duty. She was the smallest and quietest of the four (if she wasn't getting pelted with watermelon seeds), so she was the best one for the job. She snuck out of their hiding place and disappeared into the bush. Hitsugaya held his breath. What if they got caught? They heard a low whistle that sounded like a chirping bird.

"The signal," Karin whispered. "Coast is clear." Karin, Hitsugaya, and Sentaro ran as quickly and quietly as they could into the bush, which was indeed concealing a small door. They crawled through and joined Kiyone on the other side. Silent as mice, the four little thieves tiptoed across the yard. Thankfully, they didn't run into anyone.

"Which way to the kitchens Toush?" Karin asked. Hitsugaya thought for a moment, trying to remember his last visit. The house was a large U shape, with a few scattered building around the periphery. If the bedrooms were to the right and the dojo was in front of them then…

"That way," he pointed to their left. "Around the back." They followed his lead, pausing every once in a while for Kiyone to run ahead and scout out the area. Finally, they reached a building that could only be a kitchen. An enormous pile of firewood sat outside, next to three large bread ovens. A fat iron pot covered in scorch marks was settled on the front step and bundles of herbs were hanging out to dry on a wire strung over the door.

"The food's got to be in the storehouse behind this!" Kiyone whispered excitedly. Karin nodded. Kiyone and Sentaro stood guard while Karin and Hitsugaya went inside. Karin's jaw dropped open and if Hitsugaya was one to show how impressed he was by something that wasn't him, he would have done the same. There was more food than he had ever seen in one place. Sacks of rice, barrels full of fish and fruit, and piles of vegetables were everywhere. Hitsugaya, who was not underfed by any means, felt his mouth begin to water. And it was nothing compared to Karin's.

"This is…this is…wow," was all she could say.

"Come on," Hitsugaya nudged, bringing her back to earth. "Let's hurry." Karin came back to her senses and started to shove food into the bags she had brought as rapidly as she could. Hitsugaya did the same.

"Let's go!" Sentaro called impatiently from outside, and Karin and Hitsugaya gathered up their ill-gotten gains and hurried out. They started retracing their steps back to the servants' door, but as they were passing close to the house, Karin stopped them.

"Don't go that way!" she warned. They stared at her.

"Why?" Hitsugaya asked. "It's the fastest way back." Karin paused for a moment.

"W-well uh…I mean…I have a bad feeling about over there." Hitsugaya glared at her.

"You're just being paranoid," he scolded.

"No I'm not!" she retorted. "I feel like there are people over there!" They surveyed the area, but it was deserted.

"Karin, are you…?" Hitsugaya began but Karin cut him off.

"I feel their reiatsu!" she explained. "The same way I found your house before. Only, it's really strong." Hitsugaya sighed.

"This _is _the Kuchiki manor," he said in irritation. "I'm sure there are plenty of people here with strong…" but before he could finish, they heard voices and a sliding shoji door opening nearby.

"Hide!" Karin whispered frantically, and they dove behind a nearby bush. Peaking through the branches, they could just make out two figures standing on the porch. Both were dressed as shinigami. One had dark, flowing hair adorned with the kenshiken of nobility.

"Kuchiki Byakuya," Hitsugaya elucidated for the other three. He had only seen the man once before, but he was not a person one easily forgot.

"Then who's the other one?" Karin whispered back, pointing at the second shinigami who had long white hair and was wearing a white haori with the number 13 emblazoned on the back.

"No idea," he replied.

"Shhh!" Kiyone shushed them as the people on the porch began to speak.

"You'll think about what I said, won't you Kuchiki?" the white haired man asked.

"I'm not a taicho yet Ukitake," Byakuya replied coldly. "I don't see how I have any control over what happens to Murata…"

"You could take over 10th squad instead of 6th," Ukitake pointed out.

"I am not at liberty to make such a decision," Byakuya stated with finality. "The 6th squad taicho is unlikely to recover from those wounds. If he dies, I will have no choice." Ukitake frowned.

"You know if you challenged Murata, you would win. You're much stronger than he is."

"Ukitake taicho, whatever your personal vendetta against Murata is, I suggest you take it elsewhere. I have no more patience for this." He paused for a moment. "It also seems that I have a rat problem."

"I'll take care of it for you," Ukitake offered. "Sorry to have troubled you." Byakuya hesitated a moment longer, then swept into the house and slammed the shoji door behind him. Ukitake shook his head.

"So stubborn, these nobles," he muttered to himself. Then he looked directly at the bush where Hitsugaya, Karin, Kiyone, and Sentaro were hiding, and said,

"Alright, come on out. I know you're there." They checked. Kiyone and Sentaro exchanged nervous glances.

"Damn it!" Hitsugaya swore. Karin reached back and closed her hand on the hilt of her sword before standing up to face Ukitake. The rest followed suit.

"What do you want with us?!" Karin asked bravely. Ukitake surveyed them briefly, then chuckled.

"Well, you're much younger than I expected, what with that impressive reiatsu you've got. Are you talented with that sword young lady?" Karin's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Would you like a demonstration?" she threatened. Ukitake started to laugh, but it wasn't cold, vindictive laughter, nor was it mocking amusement. It was joyful, almost like a grandfather's after being bragged to by his granddaughter.

"Well now, you've got plenty of spirit," he said jovially. "I admire that. What district are you kids from?" Karin considered him a moment before replying.

"77th," she said. Hitsugaya decided not to mention that he was from 1st. Children from 77th district might possibly get away with stealing, but he knew that he should know better. Unfortunately, nothing got past Ukitake.

"You seem to be dressed rather well for 77th district," Ukitake addressed him directly. "You're not from there are you? I'd guess you're from 5th at least. Am I right?" Hitsugaya nodded.

"1st," he corrected him. For some reason, he felt entirely unthreatened by this man. There was no reason for him to be defensive. Karin seemed to feel this way too. She had at least relaxed the grip on her hilt.

"What an unlikely friendship," Ukitake said with awe. "I'd love to hear the story of how this all came about, but I don't believe I have time for that at the moment. May I presume that there is food in those bags you're holding?"

"We were hungry," Kiyone piped up.

"Shush you!" Sentaro growled, but Ukitake just laughed his friendly laugh again.

"I was from 65th district myself," he explained. "Not as bad as 77th, but I have some idea of what you've been through. And, although Kuchiki is a noble, he has a soft spot in his heart for Rukongai children on account of his late wife. I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing a bit of food with you." Kiyone's face lit up.

"Really?!" she gasped, and Ukitake smiled.

"Really," he replied. "Although next time, it would be more polite if you asked first." Karin wasn't convinced.

"What's in it for you?" she asked suspiciously. Ukitake sighed.

"Nothing's free in your world is it?" he asked sadly. "There's no such thing as a gift out of the goodness of your heart. Everyone has an ulterior motive. Trust me, I know the philosophy well. And although it is not one I abide by, I can understand your train of thought." Ukitake thought for a moment.

"I'll make you a deal," he said at last. "I'll let you go with your stolen food, if you promise me to one day, become shinigami." Karin gasped.

"Shinigami!" she said startled. "What makes you think we want to become shinigami?" Ukitake chuckled.

"Someone who has as much courage as you would surely love the life of a shinigami," he explained. "Plus, you four already have spectacular reiatsu. Particularly you young lady. And 1st district-san over there," he said, indicating Hitsugaya. "I think you would make excellent shinigami. You'll never go hungry again and you can fight all you like. But, you only have to do it if you want to repay your dept to me. Otherwise, by all means continue to live in Rukongai. I'll be looking out for you at the Shinigami Academy." He smiled gregariously, then strode away, leaving the four friends staring after him in utter amazement.

**Since Ukitake was not the best character in "Winning Her Over," I thought I'd give him a change to be the good guy, since I really do kind of like him. Don't forget about the conversation Ukitake and Byakuya had, since it will be very important later on. You won't find out who Murata is for a little while longer, but don't forget about him completely, since he will be important later (bonus points if you can guess who he is!)  
**


	6. I Hate Shinigami

"This is the best meal we've had in years!" Sentaro said excitedly, shoveling food into his mouth. Even though they had technically been stealing to pay off their bet to Hiroshi, Karin hadn't been able to resist nicking a little extra food for themselves. And now, they were feasting.

"You're such a pig Sentaro!" Kiyone scolded. "Save some for us!"

"Look who's talking!" Sentaro yelled. "What are you on, your third helping?" Hitsugaya rolled his eyes.

"Always the same you two," he groaned. "How you actually get along is beyond me." He watched his friends eat, choosing not to partake in anything himself. He had long ago decided that their food was their food, and he shouldn't take what rightfully belonged to them. Besides, he felt guilty about eating something that was stolen, even though they technically had permission to take it.

It had been two days since the raid on the Kuchiki manor, and Karin had been thinking about something ever since. She was eating in uncharacteristic silence, not paying any attention to Kiyone and Sentaro's bickering, deciding instead to focus on an ant that was making a quick getaway with a proudly procured crumb.

"What's bugging you Karin?" Hitsugaya asked finally. "You've barely said a word since I got here." Karin looked up at him and seemed to come out of her daydream.

"Do you think that Ukitake guy was serious?" she inquired. "About us becoming shinigami?" Hitsugaya snorted.

"Yeah right. Like I'll ever become a shinigami."

"It's not that bad of an idea when you think about it," Karin mused. "Shinigami live really well. They get to fight all the time, they have all the food they could imagine, and no one tries to kill you."

"Except hollows!" Hitsugaya protested. "I'm not buying it." Karin glared at him.

"Oh, and what would you do if Kiyone, Sentaro, and I went off to the Shinigami Academy? You'd really stay behind."

"Did you ask them if they wanted to come?" Hitsugaya asked rhetorically. Karin laughed.

"No, but honestly, those two would follow me to the ends of the earth." Hitsugaya looked over at the couple in question where Kiyone was trying desperately to get her fish back despite the fact that Sentaro already had it in his mouth.

"Yeah, so?" Hitsugaya countered, knowing she was right. "I didn't go for my sister and I won't go for you!"

"Suit yourself," Karin said airily. "Because I think I'm going to do it. I'm going to become a shinigami." Sentaro froze, his arm suspended in midair halfway to Kiyone's face. Kiyone, who was expecting the resistance of Sentaro's push, fell forward, landing in the dirt. Hitsugaya just stared. Karin smirked.

"So there!" she said excitedly. "I've made my decision. You're all welcome to join me!"

"Oh Karin, I'm so glad!" Kiyone gushed, all thoughts of her fish forgotten. "I think being a shinigami sounds like a wonderful idea!"

"Hey, fishface, I was going to tell her that first!" Sentaro cried.

"Who's the fishface, fishface?" Kiyone snorted, finally managing to rescue her now half devoured fish. "Anyway, I'm the one who's got a sister who's a shinigami! You don't know anything about them!"

"Who says I don't!?" Sentaro countered. Hitsugaya couldn't watch this anymore. Without another word, he got up and stormed away.

"Toush!" Karin called after him, but Hitsugaya wasn't listening. He just needed to get away from them.

"Stupid Karin," he spat. "Stupid shinigami. Why does she want to mess with them anyway?"

"Toush!" he heard her shout from behind, but Hitsugaya really didn't want to speak to her. He broke into a run. His stamina had increased tremendously due to his months of unrelenting soccer practice, but Karin's was still better. He tired out long before she did, and she eventually caught up with him.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked angrily, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to face her. Hitsugaya refused to look at her.

"I hate shinigami!" he said, drawing on his inner brat.

"Why?" Karin demanded. "What's so wrong with wanting to live a descent life…"

"Because you're just going to die!" Hitsugaya cried and immediately regretted it. He wasn't supposed to get anywhere near this topic! He didn't want to share this secret. No one needed to know this! But Karin's face was instantly sympathetic.

"Toush, I thought you were stronger than that," she mocked. "You can't really be afraid of me dying…"

"All shinigamis die," Hitsugaya replied bitterly. He was in for it now. Karin could read him too well. It was just a matter of time. Karin sighed.

"Ok," she said with understanding. "What happened?" He debated over whether or not he wanted to tell her, but decided that she was going to pry it out of him anyway and it wasn't worth the fight.

"My parents were shinigami," he admitted finally. "They were pretty good too. They weren't ranked officers or anything, but I was proud of them anyway. One day, they got assigned to a mission in the living world. They were attacked by a group of hollows. I don't know the details, no one would tell me. All I knew was that a shinigami I didn't know came to my house a few days after they left to tell me that my parents weren't coming home. They had been killed. Baachan and Momo lived next door, and they felt bad for me so they took me in, and I've lived with them ever since." Hitsugaya stared off into space, trying desperately to fight off the stinging feeling in his eyes. He hated telling this story.

"You miss them don't you?" Karin said compassionately. "Your parents."

"I never…I never got to say goodbye," he said desperately. Don't cry, he ordered himself. Don't cry. But it was too late. He closed his eyes and could feel the tears start to slip down his cheeks.

"I was mad at them. They had been gone for a month on another mission, and they had just gotten home when they were ordered out again. I didn't want them to leave so I…I told them I hated them. That I was mad at them for becoming shinigami and that they cared more about their stupid squad then me. When they left, my mother tried to give me a hug, but I wouldn't let her. I was too angry. I just ignored them and I didn't say anything as they left. I wouldn't even look at them. And then…they never came home." Hitsugaya didn't even notice it happening, but at some point during his speech, Karin had wrapped her arms around him. He clung to her, sobbing like a child, hating himself for breaking down like this. He had done this only once before, right after his parents had died and Hinamori had convinced him to talk to her about them, assuming it would help console him. It didn't, and after that, he had promised himself that he would never do it again. Yet here he was, crying his eyes out into Karin's shoulder.

"Losing people is hard isn't it?" Karin commiserated. Hitsugaya turned his tearful face up to look at her.

"But you don't seem to care at all when your friends die!" he said astonished. "You talk about it like it's nothing."

"Well, I have to!" she asserted. "When your friends drop like flies it's the only way to cope. I guess it's my defense mechanism to pretend I don't care, but really…" she trailed off, then shook her head and slapped herself.

"I am _not_ going to cry!" she stated soundly. "Man, look what you've done to me Toush. You've got me actually being sensitive." Hitsugaya grinned through his drying tears.

"Hey, you started it! You're the one who made me talk about my parents."

"Sorry," she apologized. "I promise to never make you seem like a human being again."

"Hey!" he complained and Karin grinned.

"So about this shinigami business," she began, and Hitsugaya sighed.

"Do we have to talk about this?" he groaned.

"Yes we do!" Karin insisted. "Because I'm going to do it whether you want me to or not. I'm sorry about what happened to your parents, but I'd rather take my chances with the hollows than with the insane drunkards that hang around here." She had a point, Hitsugaya thought.

"Will you come with me?" Karin asked. Hitsugaya stared at her. Her eyes were glowing, pleading even. Karin never begged for anything in her life, but Hitsugaya knew her well enough at this point to know that this was as close to it as she ever got. He sighed deeply.

"I'll do it on one condition," he said. "You've got to teach me how to fight before we go. If we're doing it, we've got to do it right, and that includes beating the crap out of all those spoiled rich kids when we get there." Karin beamed at him.

"I thought I told you not to swear, spoiled rich kid!" she chided.

"Shut up!" Hitsugaya swore in response. Karin laughed, then captured him in a headlock.

"Glad you're feeling better Toush!" she said happily as Hitsugaya struggled to free himself.

**Sorry about the short chapter, it's been kind of hectic over here. I really like this chapter anyway since I think it shows a side of Hitsugaya people usually don't venture into. Anyway, that's just my opinion, but I'd love to hear yours. This is an experimental story after all, and I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds by keeping Hitsugaya like this for so long. He grows up eventually, I promise.**


	7. Kissing

**I know I've said this before, but I've got to do it again, because this is how word gets around. The last two categories for the 2008 Torin Awards have been posted. They're only up for a day, so go vote as soon as you can (the more votes, the better!) **

A week later, Hitsugaya traced the now very familiar path to 77th district feeling nervous and excited. Karin had promised to start training him in swordsmanship today. He still wasn't entirely sure how he felt about the prospect of becoming a shinigami. After all, he hadn't even considered following Hinamori to the Shinigami Academy when she went. But Karin was different. They had only been friends for a year, but he felt closer to her than anyone else he had ever met. There was something different about her, something very special that he didn't really understand. But he knew one thing; he simply couldn't let her disappear from his life. Even if he would never admit it, he needed her companionship. He had grown so accustomed to her company that he couldn't even imagine returning to life without her. So, even though he wasn't thrilled about the idea, he would become a shinigami if it meant being able to stay with Karin. Besides, he rationalized to himself, sword fighting could be fun.

Hitsugaya approached the trees were he knew Karin, Kiyone, and Sentaro liked to sleep, but the area seemed deserted.

"Oi!" he called out. "Anybody here?" He peaked around a bush and his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. Kiyone and Sentaro had their arms wrapped tightly around each other and their lips pressing hungrily together. It looked to Hitsugaya like they were trying to eat each other's faces.

"AHHHHHHHH!" he screamed, and Kiyone and Sentaro broke apart.

"Oh, hi Hitsugaya-kun!" Kiyone chimed, as if what she and Sentaro were doing was perfectly natural and un-embarrassing for all parties involved. Karin heard the scream from her place in a nearby tree and jumped down to meet them.

"What's wrong Toush?" she asked sleepily, stretching her arms high in the air. "You woke me up." Hitsugaya could only gape.

"You…uh…what…you…" he stuttered incoherently, pointing at Kiyone and Sentaro.

"Did you catch them making out?" Karin asked, casting the couple a disapproving look. Kiyone giggled.

"We weren't doing anything," Kiyone said slyly. Hitsugaya found his voice.

"Not doing anything!?" he cried. "That image is permanently burned into my retinas! I'm scarred for life!" Kiyone giggled again.

"It's just kissing," she protested. "Everybody does it. I'm sure you've kissed people before."

"Absolutely not!" he affirmed proudly. "Kissing's gross!"

"Aw, kissing's not all that bad," Karin defended, and Hitsugaya rounded on her.

"You've kissed people before?!" he shouted, utterly flabbergasted. He hadn't really pictured Karin as one to enjoy an activity like that. The thought made him irrationally angry.

"She and Hiroshi dated for a year," Sentaro explained.

"You dated that caveman!?" Hitsugaya exploded, wondering why on earth this was making him so upset. Karin glared at him.

"What's wrong Toush?" she ridiculed. "Jealous?" Hitsugaya's face turned beet red.

"I'm not jealous!" he asserted. Karin chuckled.

"Yeah, sure you aren't. And I wasn't talking about Hiroshi!" she yelled at Sentaro. "I'd actually rather forget about that particular period of my life. Naw, I was thinking more about Izumi."

"I thought you didn't like Izumi-kun!" Kiyone said startled. Karin laughed.

"Since when does kissing have anything to do with liking someone? I only kiss Izumi every now and then 'cause he brings me food whenever I do it."

"You do _what_?!" Hitsugaya screeched. "How can you just whore yourself out like that?! Don't you have any self-respect?"

"It's not whoring," Karin shot back. "It's my choice. I've got plenty of self-respect. If I didn't, I wouldn't draw the line at a simple kiss. And frankly, I think I get the better end of the deal. Izumi's a pretty good kisser when he wants to be, and I get fed. It's kind of fun."

"Food again," Hitsugaya growled under his breath. Man, it seemed like people here would do _anything_ just to get their hands on a halfway decent meal. He had met Izumi before. Several times in fact. An overconfident tough guy who was attractive and knew it. He was however, a wimp when it came right down to it and could be spineless as a jellyfish under pressure. The thought of Karin kissing someone like that just for a bit of food made his blood boil.

"Anyway, I haven't done that in a while," Karin told them. "Spoiled rich kid here brings enough food that I don't have to mess with Izumi anymore." Hitsugaya felt so relieved he even forgot to yell at her for calling him spoiled rich kid. At least he didn't have to worry about that. Then he wondered why he should be worried in the first place.

"And you two need to be more discreet!" Karin scolded. "Poor Toush nearly had a heart attack!" Kiyone pouted.

"Hey, this is the first time he's caught us in a year!" she objected. "I think that's pretty discreet!"

"You guys do this often!?" Hitsugaya groaned. He really didn't want to think about his friends making out in the bushes on a regular basis. Kiyone giggled again and Sentaro actually blushed.

"It's her fault we were here Karin!" Sentaro claimed. "I wanted to go over to that grove but…"

"Oh, don't even start!" Kiyone retorted. "You were the one who couldn't keep your hands off me until we reached the grove!"

"Can we please not talk about this?" Hitsugaya begged. He really had no desire to think about this anymore. Karin chuckled.

"Too much grown-up talk for you Toush?" she teased. Hitsugaya scowled.

"Anyway," she said with a grin, "do you want to get started?"

"Yes," he said eagerly, eternally grateful for the change of topic. Karin smiled but decided that he had had enough teasing for one morning and didn't push him anymore.

Karin led him out into their usual soccer field which, for the next however long it took Hitsugaya to master sword fighting, would serve as their dojo. Karin picked up a long, straight stick she had found.

"Catch!" she called, tossing the stick to him. Hitsugaya stared at it.

"What's this for?" he asked curiously. Karin sighed.

"You didn't really think I was going to attack you with a sword on your first day, now did you?" she chided, picking up a stick of her own. "We'll start out with these. That way, if I hit you, you'll get bruised rather than sliced in half."

"If you don't watch yourself you might be bruised too!" Hitsugaya challenged back. Karin laughed.

"Ok," she said with a smirk. "If you think you're that good, let's see what you got!" And with that, she attacked him. Hitsugaya actually managed to block the first attack, but the second surprised him and before he knew what was happening, Karin's stick had walloped him right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

"Hey!" he gasped, trying to regain his breath. "Take it easy!"

"What's wrong Toush?" Karin asked in mock concern. "Did I hurt you with my big stick?" Hitsugaya growled and this time, he initiated the attack.

Karin hadn't been bluffing when she said her sword wasn't for show. Hitsugaya didn't know much about sword fighting, but even he could tell that Karin wasn't just your average street ruffian. She was a true master. A few hours later, Hitsugaya was covered in welts and bruises while Karin didn't have a scratch on her.

"I think that's enough for today," she said finally, pausing with her stick a mere inch from Hitsugaya's neck. He scoffed, threw down his stick, and went to sit down in a huff.

"This is stupid!" he whined. "I'm going to be stiff and sore for a week!"

"And this is only your first day!" Karin said brightly. Hitsugaya scowled.

"Baachan's going to faint when I come home," he mumbled, pressing gingerly on a black and blue mark on his arm.

"Oh, lighten up Toush!" Karin encouraged. "Everyone's bad when they start out. You'll get better, I promise. But maybe we should take a break for a few days. You know, give your body a chance to heal."

"I'll never learn that way!" Hitsugaya protested. "If we only practice once or twice a week, how am I supposed to get better?"

"I would have thought you'd prefer it this way," Karin said, slightly surprised. "You know, push off the time before you have to become a shinigami."

"But I thought you wanted to go!" Hitsugaya retorted. "I'm only doing this because you asked me to."

"Aw, that's sweet Toush!" Karin cooed. Hitsugaya scoffed and Karin chuckled.

"Look," she began meaningfully. "I'm in no rush. If you don't want to go to the Shinigami Academy untrained, then I'll train you. And if I'm going to train you, then I'm going to do it properly. And part of that is making sure you don't overdo it, especially at the beginning. Plus, I think you need this time mentally. You're not ready to just trounce down to the Academy tomorrow are you?" Hitsugaya thought about it a moment then shook his head.

"No," he admitted. "I'm not."

"Well," Karin continued, "then take as long as you need. And in the meantime, I get to beat the stuffing out of you!" She laughed heartily at the pained look on Hitsugaya's face.

"So where'd you learn to fight anyway?" he asked. "You didn't pick up those skills by just watching drunkards mutilate each other."

"Do I sense a compliment somewhere in there?!" she gasped. Hitsugaya flushed slightly and looked at the ground.

"No," he mumbled and Karin ruffled his hair.

"Quit doing that!" he barked. Karin chuckled.

"It's all right, I'm just messing with you. And you're right, I didn't learn how to fight just by watching people. I had a sensei too."

"Who?"

"Kiyone's older sister," she replied. "Isane. She used to live with us here, protecting us and everything, but life was just too tough for her, so she became a shinigami to get out. She was too sweet for this district. Couldn't handle the pressure. So she left. She still comes around every now and then to see Kiyone. We're all really proud of her, but I never thought of following her until that Ukitake guy mentioned it. It always seemed like an excuse before. You know, like copping out. Like, if I went, it would mean I wasn't strong enough to live here. But now, I don't know. I don't feel like I'm selling out anymore. I feel like, I was kind of made to do this."

"You've really thought this out haven't you," Hitsugaya said, a little more than mildly impressed. Karin nodded.

"If you're going to do something this drastic, you've got to have a reason. You know, something that drives you. I don't think wanting to get out of this death trap is such a bad thing anymore. I know I'm strong enough to live here, but that doesn't mean I have to. Besides, being a shinigami isn't all that easy. So I guess my drive is to become stronger. See what my limits really are, because I'm not going to improve any by staying here." Hitsugaya considered her words.

"Drive huh?" he asked, more to himself than to Karin. He had never really been driven by anything in his whole life. Well, nothing had ever really impacted him enough to motivate him to do anything. Except…well, one could say that breaking into the Kuchiki manor was something. Heck, even training for that silly soccer game was something. But those had both been motivated by his desire to stay close to Karin. As was this new decision to become a shinigami. Shouldn't his drive be more personal than that? But wasn't Hinamori always saying that he needed to work on his people skills? And wasn't his Baachan always encouraging him to branch out and make friends? So maybe, being driven by a desire to stay by Karin's side wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"Yeah Toush, drive," Karin responded to his thought. "So, what drives you?"

"That's a secret," he replied mysteriously, and no matter how much Karin pried, he wouldn't budge.

**I hope Karin wasn't so OOC with the kissing thing. I just thought it was funny, and it will be more important later. She's got to grow up too.  
**

**Just as a heads up, a lot of time is about to pass in the next couple chapters, so don't get confused by the jumps. I've got to age them somehow, and I'll do my best to tell you how much time is passing in each chapter.**


	8. The Frog Princess

**Don't take too much stock in this chapter. It's really just for fun. But it will probably pop up again when you least expect it (don't ask me what that means, I'm really tired at the moment.)**

It took Hitsugaya a full two years to be competent enough with the stick to the point where Karin decided he was ready to graduate to a real sword. He showed up for training one morning, nursing his wrist which Karin had smashed the day before and Karin came out to greet him, with a hand held behind her back.

"Morning Toush!"

"What's with you?" he asked. "What are you hiding?"

"Nice to see you too," she snorted, but she didn't really mind. She had grown so accustomed to his mannerisms that his cold, still slightly bratty demeanor didn't bother her a bit.

"Happy birthday!" she chimed. Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"My birthday's in three months," he reminded her.

"Yeah, but I thought we'd celebrate it early!" she declared, drawing her hand out from behind her back to reveal a fairly impressive sword. It was much smoother and sharper than hers, like it had seen a lot less use. Strings were falling out of the frayed hilt, but it would still work just fine.

"Where did you get this?" Hitsugaya asked in awe, taking it from her and admiring the blade. Karin grinned.

"Nicked it, how else? Sentaro and I snuck into a bar and he distracted them while I grabbed it off a bench. Those guys can't see two feet in front of them when they're drunk out of their minds and they certainly weren't keeping a careful eye on their belongings."

"Karin!" Hitsugaya cried. "You didn't have to steal this! I could have gotten my own sword!" Actually, he had no idea how he would have gotten his hands on a sword, but he still didn't like the thought of stealing. After their little stunt at the Kuchiki manor, Hitsugaya had vowed never to break a rule like that again. Even the thought of Karin stealing for him bothered him now. Karin simply shrugged.

"This was more fun," she replied. Hitsugaya held it out to her.

"Then you take it," he insisted. "You went through all the effort to get it. Plus, it's nicer than yours. You should have it." Karin laughed heartily.

"Oh Toush, you're so naive! How do you think I got my sword in the first place? Besides," she added slyly, "there is no way I'm going to attack you with the sharper sword. You might get hurt." Hitsugaya smirked.

"Oh?" he said confidently. "Well put your sword where your mouth is."

"Gladly!" Karin grinned, and with that, they attacked. Hitsugaya definitely found the real sword to be more difficult than the stick. It was much heavier and it didn't flex the way the wood did when he pressed his blade against Karin's. That and the fact that he was actually afraid of really getting injured, or injuring Karin, made him fight much more conservatively than he had been. But he hadn't learned nothing in two years, and after a while, his confidence grew, and he began to convert his knowledge from the stick to the sword with more ease.

"Dang, you're getting good at this," Karin complimented when they paused for air. "I think you're made for a sword. You're a natural." Hitsugaya looked at the battered sword in his hand and had to admit that it was true. He felt a chemistry with a real blade that he had never been able to sense with the wooden stick. It felt more like an extension of his arm, and he had much more control over its movements once he got the hang of it.

"Hey," Karin said thoughtfully, having caught her breath. "How about we make this more interesting?"

"How so?" Hitsugaya asked suspiciously. He wasn't sure if he liked the sound of more interesting. Karin grinned mischievously.

"Loser of the next bout has to kiss a frog!" Hitsugaya choked.

"What!" he gasped, trying to recover from his stomach full of air. "I am _not _kissing a frog! Where did that come from anyway?"

"I just think it'd be amusing!" she laughed. "What's the matter? Chicken?" Oh that did it.

"We'll see who's got warts _after_ we fight!" Hitsugaya challenged, pointing his sword at her.

"That's more like it!" Karin replied eagerly, drawing her own sword and readying herself. "Let's go!"

ooooooooooooooooo

"I'm such an idiot, I'm such an idiot, I'm _such_ an _idiot_!" was all Hitsugaya could think as they tromped down to the pond. Karin was too busy laughing her head off.

"Shut up!" he snarled, which only caused her to laugh harder.

"I thought you didn't swear anymore?" she asked pityingly. Hitsugaya scowled.

"You deserved it!"

"For what Toush?" she asked innocently. "Winning?"

"You _knew_ you would win!" Hitsugaya cried. "You _always_ win!"

"Then why did you take the bet?" she asked pointedly. Hitsugaya opened his mouth to retort, then shut it again. He really had nothing to say to that. It was his own damn fault for letting Karin goad him into that bet. He had never once beat her in a bout. She was still so much stronger than he was. Especially on his first day with a real sword! What was he thinking?!

"I'm such an idiot!" he repeated again, only this time, he actually said it out loud.

"You at least fought harder than you have in a while," Karin said encouragingly. "Having something to fight for always brings out the best in you. Even if it's not wanting to kiss a frog."

"You just want to see me kiss a frog," Hitsugaya mumbled.

"Well, that too," Karin chuckled. "Now less talking, more smooching!" Hitsugaya shot her an icy glare before turning his gaze to the pond. There was no dearth of frogs here. It was less of a pond and more of a swamp, complete with murky water, cattails, and mulched leaves. Flies buzzed around everywhere. It was truly frog heaven. Hitsugaya made a face. The smell emanating from it was overpowering.

"Make sure you find a big juicy one!" Karin called as he tiptoed to the water's edge.

"If you care so much, why don't you pick the frog!" he shot back.

"But don't you want to choose who you give your first kiss to?" she pouted dramatically. "It's such a special occasion." Hitsugaya scowled but turned his attention back to the task at hand. The sooner he got this over with, the better.

Hitsugaya crouched down and sat as still as he could. He didn't have to wait long before a fairly fat toad plopped down right in front of him. As deftly as a cat, Hitsugaya pounced, cupping the slimy creature in his hands.

"Got it," he announced, retreating from the pond and returning with his trophy to where Karin was waiting.

"Good," she said happily. "Would you like a breath mint?" Hitsugaya ignored her. Closing his eyes as tightly as he could, he puckered his lips and pecked the frog as lightly and quickly as he could.

"There, I did it," Hitsugaya said grudgingly, but Karin didn't hear him. She was too busy howling with laughter. And she wasn't the only one.

"Oh my god Karin, I can't _believe _you actually got him to kiss a frog!" Kiyone stuttered, emerging from behind a bush followed closely by Sentaro who was laughing so hard he was actually choking. Hitsugaya flushed redder than he ever had in his entire life. He rounded on Karin.

"What the _hell_!?" he screamed. Ok, so he really had given up swearing, but hey, this situation called for it. Karin still couldn't speak. She was on her hands and knees, pounding on the ground, and laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"I…lose…the…bet…" she stuttered through her laughter. Hitsugaya turned, if possible, even redder.

"_Bet_?!" he cried in a strangled voice. Kiyone, who was in a slightly better condition than Karin, explained.

"We were talking last night after you left, and I said that you would do absolutely anything Karin asked you to do, but she thought that you were independent enough to make your own decisions. So we came up with this little bet to see who was right. Now she's got to find dinner tonight."

"Yeah," Karin gasped, trying to regain her composure. "But it was so worth it to see you actually kiss a frog!" Hitsugaya didn't quite know how to react to this.

"Hey Hitsugaya," Sentaro said, eyeing the frog that was desperately trying to escape Hitsugaya's fingers. In all the excitement and embarrassment, he had forgotten that he was still holding it. "Are you gonna eat that frog?" Hitsugaya gave him a look of pure disgust, before tossing the poor pathetic animal in his face. He tried to storm off, but Karin grabbed his arm.

"You're not really mad, are you?" she asked, still snickering. Hitsugaya looked at her. Yes, he was humiliated that he had just kissed a frog. And yes, he was furious that it had all been for a bet. But Karin's eyes were twinkling with laughter, and she had just had more fun than he had ever seen her have, albeit at his expense.

"No," he admitted, trying desperately not to smile at the look she was now giving him. He had just kissed a frog damn it! There was nothing to smile about! But Karin's eyes were so joyful…

"I'm not mad."

"Good!" she declared. "Because tomorrow, you're going to kiss a rat!"

"Hey!" he threatened, and Karin broke down into laughter once again.

**Ok, really short, I know, I'm sorry, but I thought this story needed a light hearted chapter right about now, because it's about to get progressively darker (ooo, foreshadowing). And I hope you caught the first time skip. This chapter takes place two years after the last one, and the next chapter will skip some more time.**


	9. We're Really Doing It

**I'm getting really unconfident in this story. Is it moving too slowly? I'm sorry. I'll try to pick up the pace, but there a few more things I want to have happen before I really get to the meat. I hope I'm not losing your interest. Sorry if I'm whining, but I just get nervous when I think people don't like my stories.**

"We're doing it. We're really doing it!" Kiyone said in awe, looking up at the Shinigami Academy's enormous oak doors that loomed in front of them.

"Of course we're doing it stupid!" Sentaro barked. "What do you think Karin and Hitsugaya were training for all these years?!"

"I'm not stupid!" Kiyone retorted. "I'm in the advanced class, same as you! We all are, you, me, Karin, Hitsugaya-kun."

"Oh yeah?" Sentaro snarled into her face.

"Yeah!" Kiyone asserted. Karin cuffed them both.

"Will you give it rest!" she ordered. "It's our first day and you're already fighting!" In reality, she couldn't stop beaming. She was beyond excited to finally be here. She surveyed the crowd around them, trying desperately to look through the forest of significantly taller students for a small tuft of white. Finally, she spotted it.

"Toush!" she called excitedly. "Over here!" Hitsugaya heard her voice and headed to where the three of them stood. They had decided to meet here on their first day, rather than making Hitsugaya walk all the way out to 77th district, but they had had difficulty finding each other in the sea of students.

"I almost thought you bailed on us!" Karin teased when he finally reached them. Hitsugaya scoffed.

"I promised you I'd come," he reminded her. "Nice kimono." Hitsugaya had never seen Karin in anything other than that tattered rag she always wore, but seeing her here in a brand new white and red uniform made her look different. She always had an air of dignity around her that was unusual among kids from her district, but somehow, when she was wearing proper clothing, she looked almost regal. Karin blushed ever so slightly.

"Thanks Toush," she grinned, forgetting to tease him about actually giving her a compliment. "You look good yourself. Older actually."

"Yeah right, like anything I wear will make me look older," he scoffed. "Look around you. I'm half the size of everyone else here!"

"So?" Karin demanded. "That just means you've got to be twice as strong right?" Hitsugaya smirked.

"I still can't beat you," he pointed out. Karin laughed.

"Yeah, and that's never going to change, spoiled rich kid!" she chided, ruffling his hair. Hitsugaya swatted her hand away.

"Are you _ever_ going to stop calling me that?" he asked.

"Nope!" Karin said triumphantly. Hitsugaya groaned.

"Shiro-chan!" called a voice, and Hitsugaya turned red. Karin laughed at the embarrassed look on his face as Hinamori ran up to them.

"I can't believe you're actually here!" Hinamori sang excitedly, giving Hitsugaya a big hug. He pushed her off.

"Get off of me Hinamori!" he shouted, breaking loose of her stranglehold. "And don't call me Shiro-chan! You promised you would call me by my last name when I came here, and I expect you to keep that promise!" He stood up straight, but it wasn't the way a brat stands when defying a superior; it was the way an adult stands before an equal. Hinamori noticed the difference immediately, as starkly as she noticed his use of her last name.

"You've matured Shiro…Hitsugaya-kun," Hinamori gaped, clearly impressed. She felt very proud that he had grown, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness that the child she had known was gone. For, despite his appearance, Hitsugaya was no longer a child.

"Hey Hinamori," said a redhead with strange tattoos, who had just emerged from the crowd. "Why's a 5th year like you wasting your time with 1st years?"

"Abarai-kun!" Hinamori scolded. "These are my friends!" Renji surveyed the group and shrugged.

"Whatever," he said offhandedly. "We've got to go. Kira's waiting for us so we can go over things before class starts."

"Ok!" Hinamori said brightly. "I'll see you later Sh…Hitsugaya-kun!" She waved at them and followed Renji back into the throng.

"Do I have to call you Hitsugaya-kun too?" Karin chided. Hitsugaya glared at her.

"No," he replied. "You're different." Really, there was no difference, but for some reason, he didn't mind being called Toush nearly as much as Shiro-chan. He almost liked the fact that Karin had a special nickname for him. It made him feel closer to her.

A large bell rang overhead and the four friends looked at each other.

"Time to go!" Karin said eagerly.

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said to himself. "Time to go."

oooooooooooooooooooo

Hitsugaya looked around his tiny dorm room. It was half the size of his room back in 1st district, but he wasn't complaining. He didn't really need all that much space anyway. At least he didn't have a roommate. Due to an unusual gender ratio in their class, all the boys received rooms to themselves while the girls had to share. Sentaro had had a blast teasing Kiyone about it, but as she and Karin were sharing a room, Hitsugaya didn't think either of them minded very much.

He collapsed on his futon. He was exhausted. Training in the Academy was _nothing_ like training with Karin. Everyone had been tested on their skills on the first day, and Hitsugaya was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only were he and Karin talented, they were the best in the year. By a wide margin. Apparently, three years of training had paid off. They were so skilled that they received special training from the instructors themselves while everyone else was stuck learning the basics. Not that Hitsugaya minded, but the instructors sure gave them a run for their money. He was so accustomed to fighting Karin that it had been difficult to face a new opponent. But at the same time, Hitsugaya had to admit, albeit grudgingly, that he was actually enjoying himself. They had only been there a week, but he wasn't regretting his decision in the slightest.

Voices appeared in the hallway outside his door. It sounded to Hitsugaya like there were four of five people walking past.

"Hang on," came Karin's voice. "I just have to get my friend." Karin knocked briefly, then slid the door open without waiting for a response. She was flanked by a boy from their class and two girls Hitsugaya recognized from the neighborhood next to his in 1st district.

"Let's go Toush!" she sang. "We're going to hang out. Join us!" The girls shifted uncomfortably and exchanged worried glances, a gesture which Hitsugaya did not fail to miss.

"No, you go on ahead," he replied, turning his gaze back to the ceiling.

"Party pooper!" Karin rebuked. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"For you maybe," Hitsugaya mumbled. Karin frowned at him.

"Suit yourself," she said, closing the door. Hitsugaya heard the voices slowly disappear. He shut his eyes, trying to calm his emotions, but failed.

"Arg!" he cried in frustration, chucking his pillow at the wall. He had only come here to be with Karin, but the first thing she did was go off and make new friends. Friends who clearly didn't want him around. Those girls had never liked him. They had always avoided him like he was a freak show. And yet, they were the people Karin chose to spend her time with. Hitsugaya scowled.

He hadn't really thought about the other people here. He had Karin, and that was enough. But Karin always liked meeting new people. Heck, she had befriended him easily enough. And if she wanted to make new friends, then that was her prerogative. He had no right to stop her. But if Karin was really going to hang out with her new friends every night, then there was no point in him being here, even if he was enjoying fighting.

"You can make new friends too," he thought to himself, but immediately dismissed the idea. Karin was the only real friend he had ever had. Well, except for Hinamori, but she was much more like a sister than a friend. He never wanted friends. He didn't need them. But he did need Karin. That he knew.

"What is wrong with me!?" he cried furiously. "Am I really that dependent on her?" He didn't want to answer that. Instead, tired as he was, he picked up his sword and headed for the dojo; he needed to let off some steam.

oooooooooooooooooo

"Hey, Karin," one of the girls said, nudging her in the arm as they walked away from the dorms. "You didn't tell us your friend was Hitsugaya-kun."

"Yeah, so?" Karin asked. The girls exchanged nervous glances again.

"Well," she continued, "aren't you afraid of him?" Karin debated whether to laugh or not.

"Afraid of Toush?" she asked incredulously. "Are you kidding?" The girl shook her head.

"No." she said seriously. "We grew up right by him. He's really scary. Always glaring at people, not talking to anybody. He's cold. Like ice."

"How can you say that?!" Karin exclaimed, getting angry. "Toush is the greatest person I've ever met. You just never took the time to get to know him!"

"And I don't want to," the boy piped up. "I agree, that kid's got a weird aura around him. Like he's too powerful for his own good."

"I'm stronger than he is!" Karin snarled, hating the way these people were picking on her best friend. She would _not_ let them get away with this. "I've beaten him a thousand times! But you're not saying this stuff about me!"

"Well, that's because you're normal, Karin," the other girl said. "Hitsugaya-kun's just…strange."

"Well maybe you never really took the time to get to know me either!" she shot back. She was angrier than she had been in a long time. "If you've got a problem with Toush, then you've got a problem with me. End of discussion." The three traded petrified looks as Karin's reiatsu flared. She reached back and her hand closed on the hilt of the sword she still wore out of habit if nothing else.

"I don't want to get kicked out of school for beating you up during our first week here, but I warn you, you say one more word about Toush and you'll wish you'd never been born!" The dangerous look on her face told her companions that she wasn't kidding.

"Let's get out of here!" one suggested, and they tripped over each other in their attempt to get as far away from Karin as possible.

Still fuming, Karin turned on her heel and went to find Hitsugaya. She knew now why he didn't want to come with them, and she needed to apologize.

oooooooooooooooooo

Swish, thrust, turn, parry, jab, repeat. Hitsugaya ran over the form he had learned today. He liked the monotony and the physical exertion. It kept him from thinking about Karin going off and creating a new life that didn't involve him.

"You're doing it wrong," said a voice, and Hitsugaya tripped, narrowly missing slicing off his right ear in the process. He turned to stare at a rather amused Karin, who was leaning on the doorpost, watching him.

"How did you know I was here?!" he asked stunned. Karin smirked.

"Because I know you Toush," she said meaningfully. "I knew you were upset, and I also knew that this was what you were going to do about it. You can't hide things like this from me."

"How did you know I was upset?" he asked, still confused as to what she was doing there. Wasn't she out with friends? Karin sighed.

"I'm sorry," she apologized in response. "I guess I just didn't know those losers very well. But I do now. You don't make friends easily, and I should have thought about that. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry! You're allowed to have a social life!"

"Thanks for your permission," Karin said with a chuckle. "But I think I'll stick with you for now. Those spoiled rich kids aren't worth my time. Not when I've got one of my own!" She ruffled his hair and for once, Hitsugaya didn't protest.

"So what was I doing wrong?" he asked. "My form," he reminded her as she gave him a quizzical look.

"Oh, you mean besides nearly impaling yourself?" she said innocently. Hitsugaya scoffed.

"You draw back to much," she explained, coming up behind him. She placed her hands over his on the hilt, aligning her arms with his so that she could direct his movements. Hitsugaya felt his face getting warm at her proximity, and was exceedingly grateful that she was behind him.

"See," she said, moving for him. "If you pull back too far, your next move is too predictable. It takes longer, so your opponent has more time to judge the angle of your attack. It's better like this." She demonstrated the proper movement several times, then let Hitsugaya do it on his own.

"Great!" she complimented.

"It's just like being back in Rukongai," Hitsugaya said reminiscently.

"Please don't get all sentimental on me Toush," Karin groaned. "Kiyone's bad enough. I don't need it from you too." Hitsugaya actually smiled.

**So another year has past, if you caught that. It was a little more subtle this time.**


	10. Why Hitsugaya Hates Sake

The years passed by quickly enough and before they knew it, Hitsugaya and Karin were in their 6th year, only weeks away from graduation. During their time in the Academy they could, more often than not, be found in the dojo, honing their skills even more. They had long ago surpassed the abilities of all their other classmates, and the teachers themselves had difficulty keeping up with them. And that was before shikai. But the two prodigies didn't really care what others said about them since they had a hard enough time keeping up with each other.

At the moment, they were engaged in a heated battle. Sweat poured down Hitsugaya's face as he pressed his zanpakto against Karin's in a desperate attempt to push her off. His stamina still was not what it should have been, and so in durability, he was no match for Karin. But his physical strength and speed had increased incredibly during his years of training, and in those areas, he far surpassed her. But she was still better at strategy, having had significantly more fighting experience than he.

They broke apart and jumped away from each other.

"What's the matter Toush?" Karin chastised. "Tired?" Hitsugaya caught his breath.

"Not too tired to use shikai," he countered. Karin grinned maliciously.

"You asked for it!" she challenged.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!" Hitsugaya cried, and a majestic ice dragon erupted from his sword and spiraled around him, preparing for the assault.

"Blow, Kamikaze!" Karin shouted, and her sword instantly morphed into a metallic fan, as long as her arm, which she held in front of her like a shield. Karin's zanpakto, Kamikaze, was wind based. She could collapse the fan into something strongly resembling a sword if she wanted to, or she could open it and draw on its true abilities. The fan itself was sharper and stronger than ten zanpaktos, but that wasn't the real power of her shikai. Karin could use the fan to blow blasts of forceful wind at her opponent, knocking them off balance if they weren't careful and deterring most direct attacks. But it wasn't just the strength of the wind that made it so dangerous. This wind drained the reiatsu of whatever it came in contact with. It was particularly challenging for someone like Hitsugaya, who had less endurance than her to begin with. But his reiatsu level was high enough that he could outlast it for a good while.

"Go, Hyourinmaru!" Hitsugaya directed, pointing his sword at Karin. The dragon obeyed, and Karin threw up her fan, prepared to block the raw power of his first attack. Hyourinmaru was inches away from her when a petrified voice rang out through the dojo.

"STOP!" it yelled. "What are you two doing?!" Hitsugaya pulled Hyourinmaru back just in time, and they both turned to face their sensei who was red in the face from running and looking both scared and upset at the same time.

"How…many…times…have…I…told…you…" he gasped, trying to catch his breath, "that you two are not allowed to use shikai inside! We're still repairing the last dojo you destroyed." Hitsugaya and Karin exchanged sheepish glances. They remembered that day well. Karin had learned a new technique and Hitsugaya was blocking it. Needless to say, the subsequent explosion had caused many to believe that Soul Society was under attack.

"Sorry sensei," Karin apologized. "I guess we got carried away." The sensei glared at them.

"Just don't let it happen again," he reprimanded. "You two are in consideration for some very high ranking positions in the Gotei 13. It wouldn't due to spoil your futures just for a bit of fun."

"We were training…" Hitsugaya began, but the sensei held up his hand to cut him off.

"You are permitted to train, but next time, please do it somewhere where other people's lives, limbs, and property are not at stake. I trust that we won't have to have this conversation again?" He surveyed them with a stern eye.

"Yes sensei," they chimed in unison.

"Good." With that he sauntered out, seemingly proud of himself that he could still tell off the two shinigami-in-training who could, at whim, break every bone in his body.

Karin waited until he was out of earshot before cracking up.

"He is so afraid of us," she chuckled. Hitsugaya didn't laugh. He never laughed. But he was highly amused nonetheless.

"Do you want to finish outside?" he asked. Karin shook her head.

"Naw, let's take a break. Why don't we do something fun?" Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"Fun?" he asked curiously.

"Yes Toush, fun," Karin explained. "Don't you know how to do that anymore?"

"I _never_ knew how to do that," he retorted, and Karin started laughing again.

"Good point. But it's never too late to learn. Come on." She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the dojo. Hitsugaya decided it wasn't worth fighting and followed her.

"Where are we going?" he asked finally, noticing that they were heading for the dorms.

"Kiyone said that Sentaro got a present for all of us," Karin replied. "She wouldn't tell me what it was though, only that we would really enjoy it." Hitsugaya wasn't sure if that sounded like a good thing or not.

They reached Karin and Kiyone's room, but instead of opening the door, Karin knocked.

"You're knocking on your own door?" Hitsugaya asked confused.

"You walk in on Kiyone and Sentaro often enough, and you learn a few things," she replied with a sigh. Hitsugaya shuttered. That was a mental image he did _not_ want to have.

Sure enough, there was the sound of scuffling inside and a minute later, Kiyone cracked open the door, wearing nothing but the sheet from her bed.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I thought you'd be out longer. Hi Hitsugaya-kun!" Hitsugaya nodded at her, then quickly looked away, slightly embarrassed to see her in such a state. Kiyone however, didn't seem to mind.

"We were planning on taking more time, but sensei stopped us," Karin explained, completely nonchalant about the fact that her roommate was standing there practically naked. "Something about not wanting us to blow up the school." Kiyone giggled.

"Sentaro's getting dressed, and then you two can come in. I should probably put some clothes on too," she added as an afterthought.

"Yes, you probably should," Karin agreed. Kiyone shut the door and Karin shook her head in amusement.

"Does this happen often?" Hitsugaya asked in a pained voice. Karin chuckled.

"More now than it used to. Their relationship's getting really serious. I just hope she doesn't get pregnant before school's over." Hitsugaya choked on air.

"I don't need to think about that," he groaned, holding his head in his hands. Karin snickered.

"You're still such a kid, you know that?" she chided. Hitsugaya glared at her.

"Just because I don't want to think about my friends', uh…_relationship_…doesn't mean I'm a kid."

"That's just because you have no experience Toush," she teased.

"Neither do you!" he shot back, hoping against hope that she would affirm that.

"More than you," was all she said in reply, which left Hitsugaya wondering exactly she meant by that. He knew she had kissed people before but…was that all she had done? But before he could ask, the door opened. Kiyone, thankfully dressed this time, invited them inside.

"So what's this surprise Sentaro?" Karin asked eagerly, settling herself down on the floor. Hitsugaya joined her. Sentaro grinned mischievously.

"This!" he said triumphantly, holding up a large box of delicious looking chocolates.

"No way!" Karin gasped. "Where'd you get that?"

"Nicked it, how else," Sentaro said eagerly. "They had a ton of them in the teacher's lounge. I think they're already prepping for their graduation party."

"Wow, I can't remember the last time I had chocolate," Karin gushed, taking a piece and observing it like it was a diamond.

"Here Hitsugaya-kun, you have one too," Kiyone offered. Hitsugaya shook his head.

"Thanks, but I don't like sweet things." Kiyone pouted.

"You're missing out," Karin said, but Hitsugaya refused again. Chocolate really was not his thing.

"No, it's more for you. Go on." Karin shrugged her shoulders, then devoted her attention to devouring the chocolates.

"Do these taste weird to you?" Kiyone asked, working her way though her eighth piece.

"How would you know?" Sentaro asked, his face horribly red. "When was the last time you had chocolate?"

"But they smell funny!" Kiyone replied, eyeing her chocolate from all angles.

"Just eat," Karin advised, although she was slightly cross-eyed. Hitsugaya frowned. He didn't like the way his friends were looking. He picked up a piece and sniffed it. It smelled like chocolate alright, but there was another distinctive smell present behind the cocoa.

"How did you three not notice this!?" Hitsugaya cried, and they all turned to gape at him with glazed eyes. "These chocolates are spiked! They've got sake in them!"

"That's why they taste so good!" Sentaro said, licking his lips and ogling the last piece. He dove for it, but Kiyone beat him to it and shoved it into her mouth.

"Ha!" she declared through a mouthful of chocolate.

"Give me some!" Sentaro demanded.

"Make me!" Kiyone retorted. Oh did he make her. He jumped on her and pressed his lips to hers, taking the chocolate out of her mouth by force. Hitsugaya felt his stomach turn, but Karin was in hysterics.

"Oi, calm down looovebirds!" she chanted, slurring her words slightly.

"Karin," Hitsugaya said with concern. "I think you're drunk. I think you're all drunk." But Karin wasn't listening to him.

"Hey, ya know whaz fuuunny?" Karin asked the now separated Kiyone and Sentaro. "Toush here has noooo experience with girls whatsoeeeever." Sentaro started to laugh.

"Maybe you could give him a lesson Karin?" Kiyone suggested. Hitsugaya turned as red as his drunk friends.

"What!" he shouted, but Karin was already advancing on him.

"Gooood idea!" she agreed, crawling over to him. Hitsugaya backed away, but soon found himself up against a wall. He was trapped, and Karin was still coming. Her face got closer and closer to his and he could smell the sake on her breath.

"Karin…stop…what are you…" but he was cut off by Karin's lips, which were suddenly pressed firmly against his. Hitsugaya's eyes bugged out of his head. He was kissing Karin! What was he doing! Part of him told him that he should push her off, but the other part found this rather enjoyable. Before he could make a decision however, Karin had pulled away.

"See Touuuush," Karin giggled. Karin _never_ giggled. "Kissing can be fun!" And with that she fell forward and began to snore.

"She's asleep," Hitsugaya said faintly, trying to regain his composure. Kiyone was laughing and Sentaro was busy licking the last bits of chocolate off his fingers.

"I'm going to bed," Hitsugaya declared, standing up. "Anyone complaining?" There was no response as Kiyone had crawled into Sentaro's lap and started poking him in random places. Hitsugaya picked up Karin, placed her on her bed, and left before Kiyone and Sentaro could continue. He really didn't want to be there for that.

"I am _never_ going to drink sake as long as I live," he vowed to himself as he walked home. But at the same time, he couldn't get over the feeling of Karin's lips on his. He blushed.

"I kissed Karin," he whispered. "And, all things considered, it was kind of nice. I wonder what it would feel like if she was sober." But he immediately dismissed that idea. Karin was his best friend. Nothing more. She meant too much to him to jeopardize their friendship by doing something stupid like kissing her. But Hitsugaya was a changed man. Now that he had kissed her once, the thought would always be there, floating in the back of his mind, that he wanted to do it again. He growled. He didn't _want_ to have these thoughts!

"I am _never_ going drink sake!" he repeated. "It makes you do stupid things!"

**Last major time skip for a while, but I more will be coming eventually. I just really wanted to get them to this point in their lives and I didn't think it was necessary to harp on their time in school.**

**I'm sorry if I did a bad job with the drunk scene. I don't think I'm very good at writing them, but then again, people can be very strange when they're drunk, and you never know what to expect, so I just wanted to have them acting differently than they usually would. I hope you found it funny rather than stupid.**


	11. The Fight

'**Cause every friendship's got to have one :)**

Karin awoke the next morning with a horrible headache and the nagging feeling that she had done something really stupid.

"Kiyone," she croaked. Her voice was hoarse. And she was _really_ thirsty.

"Kiyone," she repeated.

"Hmmm," came a tired grunt from her friend's bed.

"What happened last night?" Karin groaned. "I remember eating chocolate and then…the rest of the night's kind of a blur."

"I think you did something to Hitsugaya, but I'm not entirely sure what," came a man's voice. Karin sat bolt upright, which only caused her head tremendous pain. The world started spinning around her and she felt her stomach churn uncomfortably.

"Sentaro?" she asked, grabbing her head to try and quell her dizziness. She couldn't do anything about her stomach though. "Why did you sleep over? I thought I asked you not to do that stuff with me in the room!" Sentaro shrugged.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure," he said truthfully. "I only remember bits and pieces of last night too."

"What on earth was in those chocolates?" Karin moaned. "I'm never trusting you again Sentaro!"

"Oh, I feel like the world's crashing in me," Kiyone whined.

"You too?" Karin asked. "Do you remember what happened last night?" Kiyone shook her head.

"Not a thing," she replied. "Although, I think Hitsugaya-kun was upset about something."

"I'd better go ask him," Karin said, trying, and failing, to stand up straight. Wow did her head hurt. On her third try she finally managed to get to her feet, and she swaggered to the door.

"Man, I feel like one of those drunks back in 77th district," she thought as she made her way to Hitsugaya's room, supporting herself on the wall to keep from falling over. She felt more and more nauseous with every step she took, but she forced it down, refusing to be sick.

Finally, she reached Hitsugaya's room and knocked.

"Good afternoon," Hitsugaya said opening the door. "I see you've finally dragged yourself out of bed."

"Af…Afternoon?" Karin stuttered, confused. "What time is it?"

"About 2:30," Hitsugaya replied.

"2:30!" Karin cried. "I haven't slept this late since…" but she stopped abruptly as a horrible wave of nausea hit her.

"Karin, are you alright?" Hitsugaya asked with concern as she placed one hand on her mouth and the other on the doorpost, gripping it for dear life.

"This feeling again…" was all she could manage to say. And then she retched forward and threw up all over Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya was almost prepared to be sick himself, but concern for Karin overwhelmed him. Bravely ignoring the vomit that now coated his body, Hitsugaya wrapped an arm around Karin's shoulders and led her over to his futon. He lay her down gently, then retrieved a wet towel and started mopping her face.

"Sorry," she mumbled when she found her voice again.

"It's ok," he said unconcernedly. "I'm not surprised, considering what happened last night."

"What _did_ happen last night?" Karin asked finally. "I really have no memories."

"There was sake in those chocolates Sentaro swiped," Hitsugaya explained. "How none of you noticed after growing up in 77th district is beyond me, but maybe this will teach you not to steal anymore." Karin managed a weak laugh.

"Yeah, maybe." They sat in silence for several moments, Karin closing her eyes against the ringing in her ears. She had to admit though, she felt better after vomiting…Vomit!"

"Toush, I puked all over you!" she exclaimed. Hitsugaya smirked.

"You just realized that now?" he asked amused. "You really are slow when you have a hangover."

"Well, go change!" she insisted. "I'll get out…"

"You're not going anywhere," Hitsugaya instructed. "Not in that condition. If you throw up in the hallway, you'll have to explain your hangover to the teachers, and I don't think that will be particularly fun." Karin groaned, but knew he was right.

"I'll close my eyes, ok?" she said. Hitsugaya debated his options for a moment, but he really was uncomfortable in his vomit covered clothing.

"No peaking!" he ordered, and Karin chuckled.

"You think highly of yourself, don't you spoiled rich kid?" Hitsugaya growled his displeasure, but Karin shut her eyes and allowed him to change. Hitsugaya blushed slightly at the thought of changing with Karin in the room, but he really had no choice. He knew she wouldn't peak at him. But that didn't mean he wasn't overly careful not to expose himself.

Karin meanwhile, was much more uncomfortable than she expected to be as she heard the rustling of cloth indicating that Hitsugaya was actually changing his clothing. A blush she was not expecting rose in her cheeks, and although her eyes were closed, she turned away from Hitsugaya to hide it. Not that she thought he was looking at her (which he most certainly wasn't), but the last thing she needed was for him to think she liked him that way. She didn't! Right?

"I'm done," Hitsugaya announced, sitting down beside her. "You can open your eyes now." Karin forced the color out of her cheeks as best she could and looked at him.

"So what else happened last night?" she asked. "As I said, I don't remember a thing." Hitsugaya flushed slightly as he remembered Karin crawling over to him, backing him into a wall, her face, so close to his own, her breath, reeking of sake…

"What's wrong Toush?" Karin asked, jerking him back to reality. "You're blushing."

"I am not!" he denied. Karin grinned.

"What, did I kiss you or something?" Hitsugaya didn't respond, but the intensity of his blush confirmed it. Karin broke down in hysterics.

"It's not funny!" Hitsugaya protested, turning even redder than before.

"Yes it is!" Karin replied, forcing herself to stave off her laughter; it made her head hurt. "I just wish I could remember the look on your face. I bet you panicked!"

"What makes you say that?" Hitsugaya asked, slightly affronted that she thought he couldn't handle himself. Karin sighed.

"Oh Toush," she said with affection, "you're just so _innocent_. That was your first kiss wasn't it?" Hitsugaya scowled.

"Oh, lighten up," she chided. "It was just a kiss."

"Maybe to you!" Hitsugaya spat. "You'll just kiss anyone won't you? Any guy who comes along with a bit of food and you'll be all over him just for a taste!"

"That's not true!" Karin retorted. "I don't…"

"Then what was the deal with that Izumi brat?" Hitsugaya growled. He really didn't know why he was yelling at her. He had no real reason to be angry. But he was upset that she took something like kissing him so lightly. It wasn't fair to him. Not when it had shaken his world so dramatically. Not when it had kept him up all night, tossing and turning, trying to convince himself that he wasn't in love with his best friend.

"You're not really sore about that, are you Toush?" Karin asked incredulously. "That was like what, ten years ago? I can't believe you even remember something stupid like that."

"It's not stupid, because it's the one thing I truly hate about you!" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself, but now that he had said them, he couldn't very well take them back.

"You have no right to hate me for something that has nothing to do with you!" Karin snarled, ignoring the throbbing pain in her head and sitting up to yell at him properly. "Stop acting like a child!"

"I am _not_ a child!" Hitsugaya barked. Karin laughed harshly. The unnatural sound hurt Hitsugaya's ears.

"Oh, look at you Toushiro," she said maliciously, and the use of his full name rather than a nickname bothered him even more than her cruel laughter. "You're the youngest person in the Shinigami Academy by a wide margin. You're half the size of everyone else here. You're so innocent it's almost painful. Just because you can beat a few teachers at sparring doesn't change the fact that _you are a child_!" She emphasized the last few words, despite the pain all the shouting was causing her parched throat.

Hitsugaya wasn't entirely sure how to respond. He had no idea what to say to her. What he did know, was that he was angrier than he had ever been in his entire life.

"That's all you think of me as?" he bellowed. "A child? A little, innocent, high-on-his-abilities child? Fine. I guess that's good to know. Now I know where I stand." And with that he stormed out, slamming the door so violently, the wooden frame cracked. It took him a few minutes of fuming until he remembered that that had been his room he just escaped from, but it didn't matter. It wasn't like sulking in his room was going to calm his raging emotions. That's what the dojo was for.

ooooooooooooooooo

Karin stared at the now broken doorframe trying to make sense of what had just occurred. She eyed the damage carefully and noticed that, not only was the wood cracked all the way through in several places, but the empty spaces had been filled with a thin layer of ice.

"I've never seen Toush this mad before," she thought. "He can't be _that_ angry about the kiss." No, her conscious told her. This had nothing to do with the kiss. Ok, so it had started that way, but what really set him off was her calling him a child. Karin mentally slapped herself. Hitsugaya was so sensitive about his age. She hadn't been lying when she said he was half the size of all the other students. If anything, that was being generous. Yet he persevered through all the whispering and the teasing. He proudly ignored snide comments about his size and icy demeanor and focused instead on improving his abilities as much as possible. Karin was actually tremendously proud of his accomplishments. And he had grown up so much in the ten years she had known him that, if he hadn't been stuck in that tiny body, she would have mistaken him for a fully grown adult in a heartbeat.

"Why did I go off on him like that?" she reprimanded herself. "I should know better." Ignoring her head, which by now was ready to burst, she somehow found her way onto her feet and left the room. She had to apologize.

ooooooooooooooooo

It didn't take her long to find him. Even if he hadn't been leaking reiatsu everywhere in his anger, she knew his habits well enough. Her unsteady feet led her directly to the dojo where, sure enough, Hitsugaya was training. His swings were wilder than they usually were and, despite the fact that he hadn't released his shikai, the temperature in the room was markedly colder than it should have been. Karin hated seeing him like this.

"Toush!" she called out. No response.

"Toush!" she tried again. Nothing.

"Spoiled rich kid!" she shouted, but all she got in response was another violent swing and a further decrease in temperature. Karin sighed. She had had enough. Drawing her zanpakto she shunpoed in front of him and in the blink of an eye, blocked his downward swipe. Hitsugaya, who was not expecting resistance, almost lost his balance.

"What on earth are you doing!?" he screamed, yanking his sword back. "I could have _killed_ you!"

"I need to talk to you," Karin replied. Hitsugaya scoffed.

"I don't want to hear it," he shot back, crossing his arms. Karin wouldn't stand for that. Without warning, she attacked. Hitsugaya realized what she was doing, and blocked at the last second.

"What's wrong with you!?" they shouted in unison, although for very different reasons. This time, they both attacked at the same time, their swords clashing midway between them.

"I need you to listen to me!" Karin yelled over the repeated sounds of steel on steel.

"I'm not interested!" Hitsugaya replied, blocking Karin's attack and responding with one of his own.

"Yes you are!" she insisted, jumping back to avoid losing an arm. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be doing this!"

"And what exactly am I doing?" he retorted, taking advantage of Karin's movement to renew his attack with a powerful thrust forward.

"You're driving yourself crazy!" she hollered, blocking the trust with a sharp downward stoke, trapping Hitsugaya's blade between the ground and her own. Hitsugaya struggled to free Hyourinmaru, but Karin held him fast.

"You are _not_ a child Toush," she said seriously, looking directly into his emerald eyes that were on fire with fury and pain. "Ok, physically you are, there's no way around that, but mentally, you're light years beyond any of the other morons in this school. I'm sorry." Hitsugaya, who had been yanking on his captured zanpakto, paused in his efforts.

"What?" he asked, not fully comprehending her apology. Karin chuckled.

"I said I'm sorry Toush," she repeated. "Did you think I wasn't capable of admitting when I was wrong?" Hitsugaya looked down at the floor, all thoughts of rescuing his zanpakto forgotten. What _was_ he so upset about exactly? Now that Karin was apologizing, the fight just seemed so stupid. Maybe he wasn't as grown up as he thought he was.

"No, I'm sorry," he said finally. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad…"

"Oh, don't do this Toush," Karin said in annoyance. "I apologized. That's it. It's over. Forget it." She grinned at him and Hitsugaya actually returned it.

"Ok," he replied, feeling rather foolish…no, rather _childish_ at the way he had gotten so furious over something so trivial.

"Oh," Karin continued, "and I'm actually really sorry I stole your first kiss like that. I know that's probably not how you wanted to remember it."

"Actually," Hitsugaya mused, "it wasn't my first kiss." Karin's mouth fell open.

"WHAT?!" she cried. "You've actually kissed someone before?! Who?!" Hitsugaya smirked.

"That frog," he reminded her. It took Karin a moment to remember what the heck he was talking about, but when she did she collapsed in a fit of laughter.

"I'm glad you're feeling better Toush," she said when she finally composed herself.

"Just promise me something," he said, pleased that at least things seemed back to normal.

"What?"

"Never drink sake again." Karin grinned.

"It's a deal," she promised.

**Ok, so there really is very little point to this chapter other than a few cute moments and the fact that friendship is too perfect if there isn't a fight, but I actually love this chapter. I think it shows a lot about Hitsugaya and Karin's personalities at this point and how developed their relationship is. But maybe that's just an author's bias.**


	12. Enter Matsumoto

**I'm glad that people liked the last chapter. It wasn't entirely filler, since, as in many of my stories, most of the events in this story have some greater purpose later on. Ok, I'm really exhausted, so I'm going to shut up before I say something I'll regret. On with the story!**

"Come on Toush!" Karin cried, banging on his door. "We're going to be late! Don't tell me you overslept!" The door opened and Karin, whose fist was mid-knock, landed the last one in the center of Hitsugaya's forehead. He simply smirked.

"Have I _ever_ overslept?" he asked in an amused voice, completely ignoring the fact that Karin had just decked him.

"Oh Toush, I'm so sorry," she fussed, examining the red mark on his forehead. Hitsugaya brushed her away.

"What, like you haven't done worse before?" he teased. "Come on, you were the one who was in such a hurry." Karin suddenly seemed to remember why exactly she had been pounding on his door in the first place.

"Oh yeah!" she gasped, her face lighting up. "Let's go!" She grabbed Hitsugaya's arm and started dragging him down the hallway. Hitsugaya shook his head.

"I don't know what you're so eager about," he said, rescuing his arm from Karin's tight grasp. Karin glared at him but didn't slacken her pace.

"Toush, today's the day that decides the rest of our futures as shinigami!" she explained as if he hadn't heard it a thousand times before from everyone in the Academy. "Getting tested by the fukutaichos…"

"Is what determines our squad placement and rank, I know, I know. How many times did sensei tell us that? Frankly, I think it's stupid. One fight shouldn't matter so much."

"One fight is all we ever get Toush," Karin replied. "Do you honestly think some vasto lorde is going to say, 'Oh, sorry, I guess you weren't ready this time. Shall we try again tomorrow? In the meantime, why don't we have some tea?'"

"Che, whatever," Hitsugaya scoffed.

"Aw, lighten up Toush," Karin chastised. "If nothing else, you at least get to spar someone that isn't me for a change."

"Yeah, that might be nice." Karin rapped him on the head.

"Anyway," Hitsugaya continued, "don't get to full of yourself. These are fukutaichos after all. You probably won't beat them."

"Are you doubting my abilities Toush?" Karin chided. Hitsugaya shook his head.

"No, I'm just saying that sometimes you get a little cocky and bite off more than you can chew."

"Confident, not cocky," Karin corrected him. "Yeah I like to challenge myself, but I'm not an idiot. I know my limits."

"Sometimes I wonder about that," Hitsugaya mumbled. Karin looked torn between hitting him and laughing. She settled on both.

"Quit it!" Hitsugaya yelled, rubbing his arm. "I'm going to be all bruised before I even start sparring." Karin laughed again. They had reached a large room where all of the 6th years were supposed to gather. They would then be taken away one by one to spar with one of the thirteen fukutaichos. Based on the fukutaicho's assessment of their abilities, coupled with recommendations from their teachers, the students would be assigned a squad and rank immediately upon graduation, which was only a week away.

The room was filled with excited whispers as the students surveyed the fukutaichos. This was the first time they were actually going to interact with real shinigami, and they were anxious and nervous. Karin and Hitsugaya pushed their way through the crowd and found Kiyone and Sentaro.

"Nervous?" Karin asked. Kiyone proudly shook her head.

"Nope!"

"Me neither!" Sentaro agreed.

"Wow, you guys actually agree on something!" Karin gawked.

"That's not all we agree on," Kiyone said with a grin. "We both want to be in Ukitake taicho's 13th squad."

"Hey, I said that first copycat!" Sentaro snarled.

"Did not!" Kiyone retorted. Karin sighed.

"It was nice while it lasted," she said wistfully. Hitsugaya was surveying the fukutaichos.

"Why are there only twelve of them?" he asked, causing Kiyone and Sentaro to cease their squabble. "I thought there were thirteen squads?"

"Kaien fukutaicho had a run-in with a really unusual hollow last week," said a voice behind them. "He unfortunately did not return alive." Hitsugaya turned to see a tall woman with short grey hair and a kind, gentle face, dressed in a black shihakusho, with a fukutaicho badge bearing the number 4 on her arm.

"Nee-chan!" Kiyone cried, running to embrace her sister.

"It's good to see you Isane," Karin said cheerfully. "Congrats by the way, on becoming a fukutaicho." Isane laughed.

"I've been a fukutaicho for two years now Karin," she reprimanded gently. "You could have come to see me in all that time." Karin blushed.

"I've been busy," she said sheepishly.

"And you must be Hitsugaya-kun," Isane said, turning to Hitsugaya. "Kiyone's told me so much about you. Do you really come from 1st district?" Hitsugaya nodded.

"Nee-chan, are you going to test me? Please?" Kiyone begged. Isane laughed again.

"No, I don't think that would be very objective. I think you're being tested by Ise fukutaicho. She's very strict but a real sweetheart once you get to know her. Just be on your best behavior."

"I will!" Kiyone replied eagerly.

"I've got to go get ready," Isane said. "I'll see you all later. Good luck!" And with that she disappeared into the crowd.

"So that's the person that taught you how to fight?" Hitsugaya said, slightly confused. "She seems so…"

"Meek?" Karin offered, and laughed at Hitsugaya's confirmation. "Yeah, she is, most of the time, but she's got guts when she wants to have them. She grew up in 77th district after all, and what's more, she survived. She's a lot tougher than she looks."

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by their sensei, who stood up on a podium and called everyone to order. The room instantly fell silent.

"As you know, this is a very important day for you all," he announced, looking rather pleased with himself that he was surrounded by so many important shinigami.

"I bet he thinks he's as good as they are," Karin whispered, and Kiyone muffled a laugh. Hitsugaya simply glared at her.

"I'm going to turn it over to the fukutaichos now," their sensei continued. "When they call your name, please follow them to the training grounds where you will receive your test. If your name is not called in the first round, please wait here patiently for your turn. Once you complete your test, you are free to go. That is all." He stepped down and the 1st squad's fukutaicho took his place.

"Kotsubaki Sentaro," he called, and Sentaro groaned.

"I'm first?" he complained.

"Good luck!" Karin said encouragingly, and Kiyone actually smiled at him as he left with the old geezer of a fukutaicho. Hitsugaya waited, wondering when his name would be called. As promised, Kiyone left with Ise fukutaicho of 8th squad. She grinned nervously at Karin before disappearing. Some boy Hitsugaya had barely spoken to was called out by the 9th squad fukutaicho. Then the 10th squad fukutaicho stood up. She was relatively tall, with long, strawberry blond hair and, Hitsugaya couldn't fail to notice, a rather well-endowed chest.

"Hi everyone!" she chimed. "My name is Matsumoto Rangiku and I'm fukutaicho of 10th squad!" She smiled broadly at the students, where several members of the male species seemed to have lost their eyeballs, glued as they were to her bulging assets. Hitsugaya made a face.

"What a ditz," he mumbled. "I just hope I'm not stuck with…"

"Hitsugaya Toushiro, will you please come with me?" Matsumoto sang. Hitsugaya groaned audibly and Karin chuckled.

"Don't let her boobs distract you!" Karin teased. He gave her the frostiest look he could manage before following Matsumoto out of the room, receiving more than his fair share of jealous looks as he did so. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes.

"Well Hitsugaya-kun," Matsumoto said happily as they walked towards the training grounds, "I hear you're one impressive student. Best in the year huh? Although, I must say, I didn't expect you to be so young. It must be tough on you." Hitsugaya didn't respond.

"Nice bruise by the way," she indicated his forehead. "Training accident?" Hitsugaya reached up to his forehead and, sure enough, it was tender exactly where Karin had whacked it that morning in her eagerness to get him out of bed. He scowled. Now this Matsumoto person would think that he was weak enough to allow himself to get injured while sparring. The thought irritated him.

"Not a big talker are you?" Matsumoto asked when Hitsugaya still refused to speak. Hitsugaya shrugged.

"I don't have much to talk about," he replied casually. Honestly, was making small talk part of this test too? Matsumoto laughed, and her laughter was bright and musical.

"Cold natured, just like your name," she noted. "And a workaholic to boot. Do you even know how to relax kid?" Hitsugaya scowled again.

"Is this woman really a fukutaicho?" he thought to himself. At the close distance he was at, Hitsugaya could smell her floral scented perfume. Her fingernails were perfectly manicured and her makeup looked like it had taken her hours. She was so…feminine. It was strange to him. She seemed to be the polar opposite of Karin.

They had reached the training grounds. They were spread out far away from the other groups so that they weren't distracted by each other, but Hitsugaya could feel the reiatsu flares anyway. Kiyone seemed to be holding her own decently well, but Sentaro was having a tough time.

"Well, if you don't want to talk with your mouth, maybe you'll talk with your sword," Matsumoto teased, drawing her zanpakto. "Now listen Hitsugaya-kun, I'm here to observe your skills. That means everything goes, kido, shikai, shunpo, you name it. I'm not going to hold back. Show me what you can do." Hitsugaya nodded and drew Hyourinmaru, the excitement of battle starting to course through his veins. Without waiting for a signal, Hitsugaya attacked.

He had been correct when he told Karin that fighting a fukutaicho wouldn't be easy. Matsumoto certainly gave him a run for his money. After fighting the same opponent for so long, Hitsugaya found it difficult at first to adjust to her form. He found himself fighting harder than he ever had in his entire life. Matsumoto was fast, light on her feet, and much stronger than she appeared at first glance. However, her obvious skill did not deter him in the slightest. Rather, it forced him to draw on talents he never even knew he had. As the fight wore on and Hitsugaya nearly sliced Matsumoto in half with a well timed surprise attack, he realized something; he was winning! Ok, he had known that he was good, and that even the teachers couldn't keep up with him, but this was a fukutaicho! Wasn't she supposed to beat the crap out of him? But somehow, as he watched Matsumoto block another one of his attacks and he easily fended off her retaliation, he knew that he had the upper hand.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!" Hitsugaya shouted. Matsumoto wasn't expecting the release, nor was she prepared for the sheer raw power of the newly materialized ice dragon. But she wasn't a fukutaicho for nothing.

"Growl, Heineko!" she cried, and immediately, she sent the ashes of her dissolved zanpakto towards Hyourinmaru, intending to slice the ice to shreds. The resulting explosion forced both opponents backwards. Hitsugaya couldn't see anything through the enormous dust cloud they had created, but he could still sense Matsumoto's reiatsu. Struggling to his feet, he shunpoed through the cloud, swinging Hyourinmaru as he did so.

"Gotcha," he said, a smirk spreading across his face, and the debris settled to reveal Hitsugaya standing over a panting Matsumoto, his sword millimeters away from her throat.

Matsumoto gaped at him. She made no effort to push his sword back and instead, focused on regaining her breath. Hitsugaya stood there for several moments, absorbing what had just occurred. Did he really just beat a fukutaicho?!

"Are you going to kill me Hitsugaya-kun?" she teased, and Hitsugaya realized that he still had his sword at her throat.

"Sorry," he apologized quickly, pulling his zanpakto back and sheathing it. Matsumoto got to her feet and appraised him quickly.

"Well, I never would have thought that a kid like you would have the strength to beat a fukutaicho." Hitsugaya looked up at her. Was that a compliment or an insult? Matsumoto took one glance at the expression on his face and burst out laughing.

"Wow, it's been a long time since I've had such a good spar! You're good kid. Really good. I wouldn't be surprised if you land the empty fukutaicho spot. But don't tell anyone I said that." She smiled warmly at him.

"I'm very glad that I had this opportunity," she said proudly. "You're going to be a great shinigami, Hitsugaya-kun." Hitsugaya couldn't find it in himself to smile, but he did manage a satisfied smirk.

"Thank you Matsumoto fukutaicho," he said with a small bow. He did still have some manners, and even though he had beaten her, he was still immensely impressed with her skills. They were not what he had been expecting from a ditz like her. Looks, he was coming to realize, could be very deceiving. Heck, he himself was living proof of that.

**Wow this chapter was hard to write. I didn't know how much of the Matsumoto fight to put in, and since I'm not really good with detailed fights, I left most of the specifics out, but I hope I put in enough to satisfy you.**

**And if there is actually a given amount of time Rukia was supposed to be in 13****th**** squad before Kaien died, then I'm sorry, I don't really know what it was. I gave her four years (since she was in the same class as Hinamori, who was four years ahead of Hitsugaya in school). I think that's enough.**


	13. Awkward

"It's not fair!" Karin complained, kicking a rock and sending it barreling into a nearby wall. They were just returning from graduation, where they had officially received their squad assignments.

"Quit being sore," Hitsugaya scolded, although he was as close to grinning as he ever got. "I beat Matsumoto fukutaicho. You didn't. That's all there is to it." Karin shot him an angry glare.

"Still, I'm stronger than you! You know I am! How did you get the fukutaicho spot? And you're in 13th squad to boot. You and Kiyone and Sentaro are all there, and look at me, stuck in 10th!"

"What's wrong with 10th?" Hitsugaya asked. "You get to be a 3rd seat there and everything." Karin sighed.

"There's nothing wrong with 10th. I like Matsumoto fukutaicho. A little feminine for my tastes, but she's a really good fighter. I mean, she beat me, and that's a first. But 13th squad needs a 3rd seat too. The old one died at the same time as the fukutaicho, remember? I wish I had that spot. I wanted to stick with you." Hitsugaya blushed ever so slightly at her words but he shook it off. It was true that he was horribly disappointed that he and Karin were in different squads, but the thrill of actually being named a fukutaicho was overwhelming him at the moment.

"You're not really angry are you?" he asked. Karin gave him an affectionate look.

"Of course not Toush!" she said with a smile. "I'm really proud of you. Honest. But I'm allowed to be proud and pissed at the same time! Especially since I taught you everything you know!" Hitsugaya smirked.

"Yeah, kind of ironic isn't it?" Karin laughed.

"Hey," she exclaimed, "why don't we celebrate!? You know, do something fun! We did just graduate."

"I don't know," Hitsugaya said warily. "The last time you wanted to do something fun, you ended up drunk out of your mind." Karin laughed.

"Naw, the rest of our class is going to do that. I was thinking of something else." Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"When was the last time we played soccer?" she asked, and Hitsugaya smirked.

"One on one?" he challenged. "Oh, you are so dead!"

oooooooooooooooooo

A few hours later Hitsugaya and Karin returned to the dorms, sweaty and exhilarated, a soccer ball tucked securely under Karin's arm.

"We should do that more often!" Karin said happily.

"Yeah, as long as it doesn't get in the way of training," Hitsugaya replied, but he couldn't deny that he had had a blast. Karin ruffled his hair.

"You're going to work yourself to death if you keep that attitude up, fukutaicho-san," she teased.

"Whatever," he scoffed, loving the sound of "fukutaicho-san."

Anyway," Karin continued, "I'm going to go pack. It's been a long day." She waved goodbye and left for her and Kiyone's room. Hitsugaya shook his head than headed towards his own room.

Tonight was their last night in the dorms. It was thought that graduation day was too hectic to also be move-in day, so the students were allowed to stay one extra night before transferring to their new squads. Hitsugaya heard several parties going on along the way, but he had no interest whatsoever in joining them. He had kept to himself for the most part and, aside from Karin, Kiyone, and Sentaro, he didn't really talk to anyone.

The smell of sake wafted out of the designated party rooms, permeating the hallway. Hitsugaya wrinkled his nose. He couldn't smell sake without thinking of Karin crawling over to him that night and pressing her lips to his. He thought vaguely that sake would remind him of that night for the rest of his life.

It didn't take long for Hitsugaya to pack his things. He didn't have very much to begin with, and his school uniform was being left behind. He didn't need it anymore. A brand new shihakusho hung in his closet, ready and waiting for the following day. Deciding that getting a good night's sleep before his first day would be a good idea, Hitsugaya changed into a sleeping yukata and crawled into bed, ignoring the sounds of drunken singing coming from the adjacent room.

Hitsugaya had just fallen asleep when he was awoken by a knock on his door.

"Who the heck is that?" he wondered, rubbing his eyes sleepily and fumbling his way to the door. He slid it open and was met with Karin's smiling face.

"Hey Toush," she said cheerily. "Nice bed hair."

"It looks different?" Hitsugaya asked groggily, standing back so Karin could come inside. She laughed and closed the door behind her.

"What's up?" he asked, noticing that she was also dressed for bed in a thin white sleeping yukata. It was much tighter fitting than anything he had ever seen her wear, and he blessed the dark room; he was sure his cheeks were pink.

"Kiyone and Sentaro have my room, um…occupied," Karin said nondescriptly. "Something about their last night of freedom. So I don't really want to sleep in there. I was wondering if I could crash here tonight." Did I say pink? I meant red.

"Wh…what?" Hitsugaya stuttered. "You want to sleep here?" Karin nodded.

"Yeah. Is something wrong with that?" Hitsugaya thought for a moment. Karin wouldn't think there was anything strange about her request. She had spent her entire life sleeping in trees with anyone who happened to share her hideout at the time, so for her, sleeping in the same room as a guy didn't bother her in the slightest. It shouldn't, Hitsugaya realized, bother him either. After all, he had shared a room with Hinamori for god knows how many years. But Karin wasn't Hinamori, and the thought made him incredibly uncomfortable.

"You take my futon," he offered. "I'll sleep on the floor…"

"Don't be ridiculous spoiled rich kid!" Karin replied. "I'm mooching off you, I'll take the floor. Besides, I'm sure you've never slept on the floor in your life." Hitsugaya shook his head.

"No, I insist. You're my guest. You take the futon." His voice was firm. Karin grinned at him.

"Thanks Toush, you're sweet." She settled herself down on the futon and Hitsugaya curled up on the softest bit of floor he could find.

"So much for a good night's sleep," he thought to himself as he shivered. He never realized how cold his room could be at night without a blanket. He had become accustomed to arctic temperatures during his tireless hours of training with Hyourinmaru, and normally it didn't bother him much. But that didn't mean that it was any easier for him to sleep in a cold room on a hard floor than it was for any normal person.

"Toush, get over here," Karin's voice called out through the darkness. "You're shivering so much I can hear it. It's freezing in this room! Don't you have a reign on Hyourinmaru?"

"I do," he replied. "This isn't me. Maybe some drunk kid broke the heater. Now go to sleep."

"No," she demanded. "Not until you come over here where it's warm." Hitsugaya debated his options, but in the end cold won out over embarrassment and he climbed into his futon beside Karin.

"See, that's better isn't it?" she asked, rolling over to face him. Hitsugaya nodded, thanking the darkness for the second time that night. He didn't think his cheeks had ever been this hot. Was it really that warm under the blanket with two bodies instead of one?

"It's weird huh?" Karin asked.

"What is?" Like _hell_ this was weird! It was downright terrifying.

"That we've graduated. We've got squad placements and shihakushos and everything. We're finally real shinigami. It just feels strange." Oh. That. Not exactly where Hitsugaya's head was at, but yeah, sure, that was weird too.

"It feels like any other night when I'm exhausted," Hitsugaya said with a yawn. Karin chuckled.

"Am I keeping you awake Toush?" she teased. Hitsugaya smiled softly.

"I don't mind so much," he whispered into the darkness.

"You must be lonely," Karin said, and Hitsugaya wasn't entirely sure she had heard his last comment. "Sleeping in this room by yourself every night. I've never slept alone before. In Rukongai, it was always safer to sleep in groups, and here I've got Kiyone. It's so quiet here."

"There's nothing quiet about that," Hitsugaya noted, pointing to his wall, through which they could still hear the telltale sounds of the graduation party. "Besides, you're going to have to get used to sleeping alone. 3rd seats get their own room in the squad barracks."

"So I've been told," Karin sighed. "I was excited about that for a bit, but now that I think about it, I think I might hate it. I'm not used to privacy like that. It'll be weird."

"You've earned it. There are only four members of our class that received officer positions and the other two are what, 9th seats? Getting your own room is a privilege most shinigami never have. You should be proud of yourself."

"Oh yeah, because the reason I wanted to become a shinigami was to have a room all to myself," she said with a laugh. "Still, don't be surprised if I come stay with you every now and then. If sleeping alone bothers me too much." Hitsugaya didn't think it was possible to blush as much as he was that night. He nodded in response and watched as Karin closed her eyes.

"Night Toush," she mumbled.

"Good night Karin," he replied softly. It didn't take long for Karin to fall into a deep sleep. Hitsugaya on the other hand, couldn't sleep at all. It was too awkward for him with Karin in his bed, so he stayed awake, watching her. Her breathing was smooth and even, every breath playing with a wisp of hair that fell across her face. With her guard down in sleep, she looked gentle and calm, neither of which were words Hitsugaya ever thought he would use to describe her. He smiled again and lightly brushed the hair off of her face. Before he could stop himself, he leaned over and pressed a delicate kiss to her exposed cheek. Finally, satisfied that he had become quite as shady as he wished to be that night, Hitsugaya turned away from her and allowed himself to escape into sleep. Because of his new position facing the wall rather than Karin, he missed seeing the tender smile that spread across her lips.

**Yay! They're finally shinigami (breaths an enormous sigh of relief). I am so excited to be here, I can't even begin to tell you. The story is about to go on hyper-drive, so I hope you all have your seatbelts fastened. The next five or so chapters are going to be a doozy (yeah, this story is gonna be MAD long!)  
**

**Oh, and don't shoot me about their squad placements. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY ARE WHERE THEY ARE!**


	14. Eavesdropping

**Yeah, so I really should be writing a paper right now (yay summer school), but this was way more interesting, so I wrote this instead. At least my paper's on anime, so maybe that will help me pull through it. If anyone has any insight on the movie, **_**Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer**_**, I'd appreciate the help, because I have no idea what the heck it means. Anyway onto more interesting things…**

Hitsugaya awoke the next morning wondering for a moment why there was something warm pressed up against his back. Then he remembered.

"Karin!" he cried in shock, nearly jumping out of his skin as he bolted upright. Karin groaned and rolled over. Hitsugaya came back to his senses, then realized what day it was.

"Karin wake up!" he said urgently, shaking her gently. "You don't want to be late today do you?" Karin came to life instantly.

"Oh right, we start in our squads today!" she exclaimed, jumping out of bed. Her hair was a disheveled mess and her sleeping yukata was just a little more out of place than she probably wanted it to be. Hitsugaya quickly turned away, hoping his blush didn't show.

"Don't let anyone catch you in the hallway like that," he advised. "That's how rumors start." Karin took a moment to digest his words, than chuckled.

"Naw, I'll just beat the crap out of them until they realize that you and me are just friends. See ya Toush!" And with that she swept out the door leaving Hitsugaya with a much larger hole in his heart than he expected to have. But he bravely brushed it off. Today was a really important day and he couldn't spend it worrying about something like that.

He got dressed in his new shihakusho, strung Hyourinmaru over his back, and set out for the 13th squad's office. He had been told to report there to meet his new taicho.

Hitsugaya paused just outside the office. He was about to knock when he heard angry voices from inside, and decided not to disturb them. Walking in on a fight was not how he wanted to start out his career. He tried not to eavesdrop, but the voices were just too loud.

"I told you Yamamoto soutaicho," came a voice that Hitsugaya recognized as Ukitake's, his new taicho. "I wanted both of them."

"Don't be selfish Ukitake," replied a harsh voice that Hitsugaya assumed belonged to Yamamoto. "10th squad needs a 3rd seat as well. You are not the only one who has suffered losses recently."

"There are plenty of other shinigami to take the 3rd squad seat," Ukitake retorted. "I wanted Karin in my squad."

"I'm sorry Ukitake, but Murata taicho requested her specifically."

"Of course he did," Ukitake growled.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Yamamoto asked threateningly.

"Soutaicho, have you seen her? She's feisty and determined, and rather attractive for her age…"

"What exactly are you implying Ukitake?" Yamamoto sneered. Ukitake sighed.

"Soutaicho, you know my opinion on this matter…"

"And you know mine!" Yamamoto shouted. "Murata taicho has my complete trust."

"At least give me Matsumoto then," he pleaded. "Hitsugaya-kun could go to 10th squad and Matsumoto could come here…"

"You know I detest switching officers around from squad to squad, particularly if there is no change in rank associated with it. Murata taicho is perfectly happy with Matsumoto fukutaicho. I see no reason to remove her."

"Then you are blind," Ukitake said firmly. Hitsugaya could feel the heightened reiatsu in the room.

"Ukitake," Yamamoto began, but Ukitake cut him off.

"If any harm befalls that girl while she is Murata's subordinate, it will be on your shoulders!"

"How dare you speak to me that way?!" Yamamoto cried. "You forget your place, Ukitake taicho. There will be no more discussion on this topic. Is that clear?" The door next to Hitsugaya flew open and a furious Yamamoto stormed out. For the first time in his life, Hitsugaya blessed his small size. He did not want to be in the soutaicho's way when he was in that condition. Not on his first day.

Hitsugaya peered through the still open door. Ukitake was standing beside his desk looking tired and worn, nothing like the strong, confident taicho Hitsugaya remembered from his raid on the Kuchiki manor all those years ago. Ukitake looked up and saw Hitsugaya standing in the doorway. He gave him a weak smile and stood up straighter, but Hitsugaya could still see the pain in his eyes.

"Welcome to squad 13, Hitsugaya fukutaicho!" Ukitake said brightly. "I hope you…"

"Will Karin be alright?" Hitsugaya interrupted, realizing a minute to late that he probably shouldn't do that to his new taicho. Ukitake however, didn't seem to notice.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that," he said sadly. "I don't want you to think that I don't want you in my squad. I do. It just would have been nice to have your friend here as well." Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. Ukitake was clearly avoiding the real issue at hand, but it was obvious that he did not want to talk about it.

"Well," Ukitake said, taking a deep breath and pulling himself up to his full height. "Shall I give you a tour of the squad then?" Hitsugaya nodded, but at the moment, he was much more interested in finding out about what kind of danger Karin was in.

ooooooooooooooooo

Meanwhile, Karin herself was in a very similar position. She had been told to report to the 10th squad office to meet Murata taicho, but, just as Hitsugaya had been, she was waiting outside the door for an argument to finish. This one was between Matsumoto and a man she could only assume was Murata.

"I told you not to take her taicho!" Matsumoto cried. Karin heard a gentle laugh.

"Do you doubt her abilities Ran-chan?" the man who must be Murata chided.

"Of course not! But Ukitake taicho wanted her in his squad…"

"And so did I. Ukitake received a new fukutaicho. Why is it fair for him to get both of the talented new rookies?"

"Then take Hitsugaya and let Karin and I go to 13th!" Matsumoto begged.

"Aw, now why would I want to part with you Ran-chan?" Murata cooed. "Do you really think I would let some child take your place? I'm perfectly happy with you and with my talented new 3rd seat."

"If you lay one finger on that girl…"

"Is that a threat, Ran-chan?" Murata asked, and Karin could hear the poison that laced his otherwise friendly voice. It made her shiver.

"Just a warning," Matsumoto replied, although the pride in her voice was faltering.

"You know perfectly well what happened the last time you threatened me, don't you Ran-chan?" There was silence for a moment, then Karin heard the slap, although she wasn't entirely sure who slapped who.

"Energetic aren't we?" Murata sneered. "Midnight then?"

"What about this makes you think…"

"You know the deal Ran-chan," Murata said in that suddenly scary voice of his. "You threaten me, you pay the price. So, midnight?" Matsumoto didn't respond, but suddenly, the door beside Karin opened and Matsumoto stepped out, slamming the door behind her. She stood tall and strong for a moment before covering her face in her hands and trying vainly to stifle her sobs.

"Matsumoto fukutaicho," Karin said compassionately, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "Is everything alright?" Matsumoto turned a tear stained face towards Karin, and suddenly her eyes were severe. She grabbed both of Karin's arms and held her firmly in place.

"Listen to me Karin, and listen carefully. Whatever happens, do not allow yourself to be alone with Murata taicho. Understand?!" Karin nodded. There wasn't very much she could do with Matsumoto's fingers digging painfully into her arms. Matsumoto finally relinquished her death grip and ran a shaky hand through her hair. Without looking back at Karin she walked away unsteadily mumbling something about needing sake. This of course, left Karin to enter the office alone, which she had just been told explicitly not to do. She shrugged. How bad could this Murata guy actually be? Matsumoto was a little hypersensitive for Karin's taste anyway. So, without apprehension, she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" called an amiable voice and Karin slid the door open and first laid eyes on the infamous Murata. He wasn't a particularly tall man, but his build rivaled that of some all-star quarterbacks. He had a full head of curly red hair and bright blue eyes that twinkled in a friendly sort of way. He was attractive, Karin couldn't deny that, and, despite everything she had heard to the contrary, she liked him immediately.

"Ah, you must be my new 3rd seat!" he welcomed, coming over to her and giving her the once over. "I've seen you from afar, but I'm thrilled to finally get the opportunity to meet you in person. They say your skills are unmatched in the Academy." Karin didn't know exactly how to respond to the compliment.

"Naw, Toush is apparently stronger than me. He got the fukutaicho seat." Murata chuckled.

"A mistake on my fukutaicho's part if you ask me," he said, placing a strong hand on Karin's shoulder. "She's a bit of an airhead. Very unreliable. I'm afraid her habits are going to result in you doing quite a bit of paperwork."

"Then why won't you let her switch to 13th squad?" Karin asked before realizing that she probably wasn't meant to have heard that conversation. Murata however, laughed heartily.

"Ah, very observant of you, my little information gatherer. Well you see, Ran-chan has long been displeased with the way I run my squad. Doesn't like all the work I give her see, and she seems to think that another squad would be less of a burden. But there's more to being a fukutaicho than doing paperwork. She's talented in other ways, I'll give her that. I like having her at my side. Besides, despite her faults, I think we make a good team. And I see no reason to break up a good team to take my chances with a new recruit. They say the evils you know are better than the evils you don't."

"Toush is my friend," Karin retorted. She didn't like people insulting him. Murata chuckled.

"Oh, I don't doubt his abilities one bit! Especially not if he keeps up with you. But I'm sure you understand the concept of keeping a team together? So I'll keep Ran-chan. I'm sure your friend will do just fine in 13th. Now, I have some work to do, and I don't want to burden you too much on your first day, so why don't you move into the barracks and meet your fellow squad members? Just relax a bit. And remember, if you ever need anything, I'm here for you!" He flashed her a winning smile and Karin bowed herself out.

"Strange man," Karin thought to herself. "But overall, he's kind of nice. I don't know what the deal is between him and Matsumoto, but I guess that's their problem, not mine.

ooooooooooooooooo

A month later, Karin was walking down the hall carrying a towering stack of paperwork, when she heard someone call her name.

"Hey Karin!"

"Toush!" she said happily, turning to face him and causing her tower to wobble ominously. Hitsugaya, who was kneeling on the ground, stood up, a piece of paper grasped in his hands.

"This yours?" he asked, indicating the paper which had 10th squad written across the top. "That was dangerous. Be more careful." Karin laughed as Hitsugaya placed the paper on top of her stack.

"What's dangerous about it? It's just a work order. One of the bathrooms has a leaky faucet, it's nothing urgent…"

"I don't want to think about the consequences of you losing a piece of paperwork, that's all," Hitsugaya replied seriously. Karin raised an eyebrow.

"Toush, I don't know what you're talking about. Murata taicho's a really great guy. Honestly. A little flighty, but I can deal with that. I think Ukitake taicho and Matsumoto fukutaicho just have this conspiracy against him or something." Hitsugaya cast her a wary look.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." Karin laughed.

"Toush, I can take care of myself! You know that better than anyone." Hitsugaya still wasn't convinced. Ukitake wouldn't tell him a word about Murata. He simply told Hitsugaya to keep a close eye on Karin, but refused to share the details. But Karin didn't seem to be disturbed by Murata in the least. Maybe it was just Ukitake and Matsumoto being paranoid.

"Ok," he said finally. "Do you want help carrying that?" Karin shook her head.

"No, I'm fine thanks. I'm sure you've got your own stuff to do. See ya!" Hitsugaya watched her walk away, still feeling incredibly overprotective and knowing that there was nothing he could do about it.

**Ok, maybe a little slow for hyperdrive, but consider this stepping on the gas pedal. This chapter was important to set the rest of the story in motion (and if you dig back through the chapters to the raid on the Kuchiki manor, you'll find that these conversations are the continuation of a series of suspicions that Ukitake has had about Murata, but that no one else seems to believe). Keep your seatbelts fastened.**


	15. I Have No Idea What to Call this Chapter

**Strange title for a chapter I know, but I seriously have put way too much thought into a title and can't for the life of me come up with a good one. I'm sure you don't really mind.**

"I'm finished, Murata taicho," Karin said with a sigh, pushing her brush aside and leaning back in her chair. She stretched. Hours of paperwork could be even more draining than sparring.

"Thank you Karin," Murata said appreciatively. "I'm sorry to make you do all this. It's really not the 3rd seat's job, but Ran-chan is so irresponsible."

"It's ok Murata taicho," Karin assured him. "I really don't mind."

"That's good," he said, smiling at her over his tea cup. "Why don't you take the rest of the day off? Go home, relax, unwind a bit."

"Thanks Murata taicho," Karin said gratefully. "I think I'll do that." She turned to leave, oblivious to Murata's eyes, which followed her every movement like a cat on the prowl.

ooooooooooooooo

"Phew, I'm so tired," Karin said to herself, collapsing on her futon. "Maybe I'll take a nap." She closed her eyes, but before she had a chance to fall asleep, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called, not bothering to open her eyes. Karin heard the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Toush, is that you?" she asked, not being able to think of anyone else who would come visit her at this hour.

"No, it's me," replied a throaty voice, and Karin bolted upright.

"Murata taicho!" she gasped in surprise. "What are you…" But before the words were out of her mouth, Murata had approached her futon and straddled her in one fell swoop.

"Murata taicho!" Karin screamed, taken aback by his sudden movement. "Get off me!" She tried to squirm out from under him, but he grabbed her arms and held her in place.

"Now now, that's no way to speak to your taicho is it?" he asked, a dangerous gleam in his eye. Karin was utterly and completely trapped, but that didn't mean she didn't struggle.

"Let go of me!" she shrieked, thrashing about as much as possible. She stole a glance at her zanpakto, but it was too far out of her reach.

"Tisk tisk, you're such a nuisance aren't you?" he scolded. "It won't do to have you moving around so much. Way of Binding 1-Paralysis!" Karin felt her body go rigid. Her arms snapped to her sides and her back and legs were frozen. She tried with all her might to break the binding kido, but it had been performed by a taicho, and it was just too powerful.

"That's much better isn't it?" Murata said softly, trailing a hand down her cheek. Karin tried to scream, but even her mouth had been paralyzed shut. Her insides wriggled in fright and desperation as Murata's hand traveled from her cheek, to her neck, to her chest, where he pried her shihakusho open with the joy of unwrapping a fragile gift.

Karin shut her eyes and tried to keep breathing as she felt Murata's hands continue their exploration of her body. Cloth trailed across her shoulders and she realized that the top part of her shihakusho had been removed completely. She opened her eyes in time to see Murata hungrily untie her sash and rip her hakama pants off. Now she lay there in nothing but her loincloth. Murata lay down on top of her. She could feel his burning breath on her face and she closed her eyes again as he trailed greedy kisses down her neck and chest. Hot tears slid down her cheeks and she shrieked inside her head for someone, anyone, to come and save her.

"It'll all be over soon," Murata whispered as he reached down for her loincloth and started to pull. The screaming in her head and Murata's heavy breathing drowned out every other sound.

It all happened so fast, Karin wasn't even sure what had occurred. One second she could feel Murata tug on her loincloth, and the next there was a sword at his throat and a cold, steely voice shouting,

"Let her go!"

"Toush!" Karin thought in desperate relief. Hitsugaya's face was more menacing than she had ever seen it. Icy, deadly eyes glared at Murata, who looked simply like he had been interrupted in the middle of his favorite meal by a rather mild annoyance. He let out a low chuckle.

"Do you really think you can take me boy?"

"Let her go!" Hitsugaya repeated, his voice becoming bitterer with every word.

"Do you know how to say anything else?" Murata mocked. Hitsugaya didn't budge.

"I could have you executed for this," Murata said with an air of authority. "For pointing your sword at a taicho."

"And I could have you executed for this!" Hitsugaya spat, his sword unwavering at Murata's throat. Murata let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well, it looks like we're both in a bind now aren't we?" Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed.

"The only one in a bind is you!" he snarled. "You can't just take advantage of your subordinates like this…"

"I think you're forgetting," Murata interrupted, a gleam in his eye, "that I have the soutaicho's complete trust. Do you really think he'll take the word of a rookie 3rd year and fukutaicho over mine?" Hitsugaya was un-intimidated.

"Get out of here!" he demanded. Murata sighed dramatically.

"See now, you've just gone and spoiled the mood," he said sadly. Hitsugaya swelled with anger. "I guess I'll just have to let her go. For now." He climbed off of Karin, removed the binding kido, and was at the door in a matter of seconds.

"Oh, and remember," he added, almost as an afterthought, "this is our little secret." He smiled a hideous smile, winked at them, and shut the door behind him.

Hitsugaya dropped his sword and was at Karin's side in an instant.

"Karin, are you…" but before he could finish, Karin's arms were wrapped around him in a death grip and she was sobbing her heart out into his shoulder. Hitsugaya held her as tightly as he could and rocked her back and forth, like his Baachan used to do to Hinamori when she was upset about something.

"Shhh," he said soothingly. "It's alright. He's gone." Karin continued to bawl.

"Toush," she gasped through her tears. "He used binding kido on me. I couldn't move. I've…I've never been so scared in my entire life. Even…even when things like this happened in Rukongai, I always had my sword, or at least my fists. It never got this far, ever. I…I don't…" And then she broke down. Hitsugaya cradled her in his arms, at a total and utter loss at what to say.

"Karin-chan!" sang an overly enthusiastic Matsumoto, throwing open the door. "I was wondering where you disappeared to…" She trailed off and her face flushed as her eyes took in the clothing scattered on the floor and a practically naked Karin sitting on her futon wrapped in Hitsugaya's arms.

"Oh!" she gasped, misinterpreting the scene entirely. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt! I'll just…"

"No, Matsumoto fukutaicho," Karin said, pulling back slightly and wiping her eyes. "It's not what it looks like." Matsumoto saw the tears streaming down Karin's face and the look of desperate concern on Hitsugaya's and understood immediately. She had been in the same situation herself many times before. She came over to the bed and placed a gentle arm around Karin's shoulders.

"It's alright now," she said encouragingly. "It's not your fault. It's happened to me too. You're not alone ok? Come on, let's get you dressed." Karin didn't respond. She clung to Hitsugaya even tighter, unwilling to leave the safety of his arms.

"No, it's ok," she said weakly. "I'm fine…"

"Karin," Hitsugaya said reassuringly, placing a steady hand on her cheek and directing her to look at him. "I'm not going to go anywhere. I promise. So get dressed and I'll make you some tea. It'll help you feel better. Ok?" He looked deeply into her eyes and, although reluctant, Karin nodded. Hitsugaya slowly peeled her arms off him and handed her her clothes. He left her in Matsumoto's care and went to the corner to brew some strong tea.

Matsumoto watched the entire interaction carefully. She saw the unwavering trust Karin placed in Hitsugaya and the way she found total solace in his arms. She saw how Hitsugaya tended to Karin almost like a mother, and how he was utterly and completely respectful of her naked body, not even once looking anywhere except her face. The look they gave each other as Hitsugaya promised he wouldn't leave was filled with so much emotion that Matsumoto, in all her many, many years, had never seen anything like it. Trust, respect, understanding, faithfulness, companionship, support, and love sparkled so strongly in both of their eyes that it almost moved Matsumoto to tears.

"Karin," Matsumoto said seriously as she helped the shaky girl back into her clothing. "You know I'm always here for you. I've had this experience before, so I know what you've been through. If you ever want to talk, I'm more than willing to listen. But for now, I'm going to leave you in the care of that boy. He'll take better care of you than anyone else will right now." Karin nodded.

"You're very lucky to have him," Matsumoto added. And, to her complete amazement, Karin smiled.

"Yeah," she agreed, watching Hitsugaya pour steaming tea into a cup. "I am."

Hitsugaya returned with the tea and Matsumoto stood to leave.

"I'm counting on you," she told him. Hitsugaya nodded.

"Leave it to me," he replied as she left. Once they were alone, Hitsugaya sat back down on Karin's futon, wrapped a protective around her shoulders, and handed her the tea.

"Drink," he suggested. "It'll help calm you down." Karin complied. She leaned against his warm body, basking in the familiarity of it, allowing herself to be pampered and comforted for once in her life.

Neither of them knew how long they sat like that, cradled against one another, lost in their own thoughts. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Karin broke the silence.

"Toush," she said softly. "Let's train for bankai."

"Huh?" Hitsugaya asked confused. That was definitely not what he was expecting her to say after what had just happened.

"Let's do it," she repeated. "Let's train for bankai."

"And what about this situation makes you want to do that?" he asked, still not understanding where she was coming from. Karin looked up at him, her face set and serious.

"I want to get stronger," she stated. "I want to increase my abilities so that nothing like this ever happens again. But I want your help. I trained with you before, back in Rukongai. Now, will you train with me?" Hitsugaya saw the determination in her eyes, and he knew that nothing in the world would keep him from fulfilling this request. Besides, training for bankai wasn't that bad of an idea. It would help him as much as her.

"Alright," he agreed. Karin smiled, then leaned back against him. They fell back into silence and, after a while, Hitsugaya thought Karin had fallen asleep. He tried to lay her down, wanting to leave without disturbing her, but apparently, she wasn't quite asleep yet. As he stood to go, Karin reached out a desperate hand and wrapped it tightly in his shihakusho.

"Stay with me," she whispered. Hitsugaya paused for only a brief moment, but decided that tonight was not the night to pick a fight. He laid down on her futon and pulled her close to him. She snuggled up next to him, resting her head on his chest, basking in the comfort and safety of his presence. Before long, she had fallen asleep. Hitsugaya stroked her head gently as he watched her sleep.

"I'll never leave your side," he promised. "Ever." And with that, he surrendered to his own slumber.

**Phew, how was that for hyperdrive? I hope Karin's not OOC in this chapter but hey, she was almost raped, so I think she's allowed to be a little freaked out.**


	16. Sunsets, Swords, and Swears

**Wow, thank you all so much for your reviews. I've never had a reaction like that for a chapter in any of my stories, so thanks everyone. It really means a lot :)**

**Sorry for the late post (well, late for me anyway), but I went out of town for the weekend and I have spotty internet access. It's going to be like that for the rest of the week, so I'll only be able to post once or twice more. Sorry. I'll be back on a normal scheule next week. I know you're all probably angry about where I left you off, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. It's one of my favorites!**

**Oh, and just to clear up some possible confusion, not a lot of time passed between them becoming shinigami and the previous chapter. I let a month pass while Karin learns to trust Murata, but I know I'm a little ambiguous about the time frame for last chapter. I guess it doesn't really matter, but, in my mind, not a whole lot of time passed. Some time does pass in this chapter however, but again, the exact amount isn't as important as the effect that time has on them. You'll see what I mean.**

From that day on, Hitsugaya vowed never to leave Karin alone. It proved difficult, since they both had their own responsibilities to their squads, but Ukitake was more than understanding, and Karin found herself doing a significant amount of paperwork in 13th squad's office rather than her own.

Hitsugaya urged Karin to go to the soutaicho and tell him what had occurred, but Karin refused.

"Murata was right," she said sadly. "You'd be executed for pointing your sword at a taicho, even if you were protecting me. Besides, Yamamoto soutaicho doesn't believe that any of this is true. Matsumoto's tried. Just leave it be. I'll take my own revenge once I've got bankai." No matter how much Hitsugaya pleaded, Karin refused, and eventually he gave up, deciding that Karin needed to fight her own battles, not depend on him or the higher authority to do it for her.

True to his word, Hitsugaya trained with Karin for bankai. It was tough on them, doing paperwork by day and training by night, but they were hearty and strong. Besides, the thrill of training won out over exhaustion, and they could feel themselves getting closer and closer with each passing day. In less than a year, Karin had achieved materialization. Hitsugaya was not far behind, but it was clear that she was improving much faster than he was.

"Maybe you should be the fukutaicho instead of me," he teased, blocking a strike.

"I've been telling you that for ages!" she retorted, initiating another attack.

All in all, life was good. Except for pointedly avoiding Murata taicho whenever possible, Hitsugaya and Karin were thoroughly enjoying their lives as shinigami. Even the hollows that they fought on their periodic missions were no threat to them. Hitsugaya privately wished that these days could go on forever.

ooooooooooooooooo

Hitsugaya had just returned from a short mission and was alone in his room when Karin came in without bothering to knock.

"You know, I could have been changing," he teased, but Karin didn't seem to have heard him. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates and her movements were slow and jerky, like a zombie. She meandered over to Hitsugaya's futon and sat down robotically, staring unseeingly in front of her.

"Oi, are you alright?" Hitsugaya asked with concern. He had never seen her look like that before.

"I did it," she mumbled. "I don't know how I did it, but I did it. I can't believe it. No, I _don't_ believe it, because it isn't true. It can't be true because then I…"

"Would you mind telling me what 'it' is?" Hitsugaya cut into her ramblings. Karin looked at him, seemingly realizing for the first time that he was there.

"Bankai," she explained. "I did it." Now it was Hitsugaya's turn to open his eyes as wide as they would go.

"What!" he exclaimed. "Karin, that's…"

"I don't know how it happened," she interrupted, clearly still so in shock that she wasn't listening to him. "It was so…strange. One minute I didn't have it and the next, it was just…there. I mean, we've been training for it sure, and I've had materialization for ages, but I wasn't expecting her to just…awaken like that."

"Karin this is incredible!" Hitsugaya shouted, shaking her shoulders to try to bring her back to reality. "You did it! You really did it!" His excitement at her accomplishment was contagious.

"I did didn't I?" she said, as if realizing it for the first time. Hitsugaya nodded energetically, and a smile spread slowly across Karin's face.

"I've got a bloody bankai!" she cheered, and Hitsugaya couldn't help but smile slightly at her discovery.

"This calls for a celebration!" he declared. "Anywhere you want to go. My treat." Karin considered him.

"Anywhere?" she asked slyly.

"Anywhere," Hitsugaya replied, deciding he would deal with the cost at a later date. Karin deserved anything she wanted right now.

"Actually," she said thoughtfully, "there is one place I'd really like to go."

"Name it," Hitsugaya said. Karin smiled, then stood to leave the room, indicating to Hitsugaya to follow her.

She brought him out of Seireitei and into Rukongai, refusing to answer any of his questions as to where she was taking him. They turned off of the main road and into a wooded area. After wandering through the forest for several minutes, they emerged into a clearing that ended in a sharp cliff, overlooking a wide, sweeping valley. The sun was setting by this point and the valley was flooded with pink and yellow light.

"Wow," was all Hitsugaya could say, gazing out over the spectacular view before him. Karin beamed at him, then ran forward and plopped herself down closer to the edge of the cliff. Hitsugaya joined her.

"How did you find this place?" he asked, still in awe that such a magnificent location could exist in Soul Society.

"Kiyone," Karin explained. "Apparently she and Sentaro come here sometimes on dates. I've always wanted to see it." They sat in silence for several moments, enjoying the sunset and watching the colors of the clouds change from yellow to orange to red as the sun dropped lower in the sky, kissing the horizon. Hitsugaya looked at Karin. Her face was serene. She looked happier and more relaxed than she had in a long time. Karin rarely allowed herself to drop her guard. She always maintained a firm appearance of pride and stubbornness. But, for just this one moment, she let herself go as she basked in the sun's warm rays. And, for the second time that day, Hitsugaya allowed a smile to cross his lips. She looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her.

Without warning, Karin closed her eyes and leaned her head on Hitsugaya's shoulder. And for the first time in his life, he felt nervous to be in her presence. It was as if his brain wasn't functioning properly anymore. His heart began to race and his stomach felt like it was tap dancing. Slowly, unsure if this was a good idea or not, Hitsugaya lifted a shaky arm and draped it around Karin's shoulders. The motion only caused her to lean closer to him, increasing Hitsugaya's already elevated heart rate. They sat like that for a while, lost in their peaceful bliss. Darkness started to settle in around them. The sun was still visible on the horizon, but the first few stars had begun to appear overhead, sparkling like diamonds in the twilight. Finally, Karin spoke.

"I'm going to do it Toush," she said randomly, as if she was continuing a conversation that had been going on inside her head. "Now that I have bankai. I'm going to do it."

"Do what?" Hitsugaya asked, having absolutely no idea where her head was at. His was still lost in the pounding of his heart and the feeling of Karin's head on his shoulder.

"I'm going to challenge Murata taicho for his position." Hitsugaya bolted upright, letting his arm fall from Karin's shoulder, and she lifted her head to look at him.

"Are you insane?" he shouted. "You just got bankai today and you're already thinking of taking on a taicho! What's wrong with you?"

"You don't think I'm strong enough?" she asked rhetorically. Hitsugaya scoffed.

"It's not that I doubt your abilities, but don't you think you should train your bankai a bit before you do something that drastic?"

"Toush, the whole _point_ in training for bankai in the first place was to get rid of Murata. He's sick. Someone's got to challenge him."

"Yeah, but why does it have to be you?" Hitsugaya asked desperately.

"Because I'm the only non-taicho who has bankai!" she stated soundly. "I'm the only one who _can_ do it. Plus, I _want_ to. I feel like it's my duty and my right. After…after what he did to me."

"But…" Hitsugaya started to protest. Karin glared at him.

"What Toush, you don't think I can do it?"

"It's not that," Hitsugaya tried to explain. "It's just…"

"It's just what?!" Karin demanded angrily. Hitsugaya couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I'm scared!" he cried. That shut them both up for several moments as they realized the enormity of that statement. Hitsugaya Toushiro wasn't afraid of anything.

"Scared?" Karin asked, in a much gentler tone. Hitsugaya blushed, but he held her gaze.

"I'm scared of losing you," he said honestly. "Challenging a taicho is no easy task. It's not something to be taken lightly. It's a fight to the death really, and Murata will not hesitate to kill you if he has to to win. I just…I don't want you to die." Karin looked at him. His eyes held more emotion than she had ever seen before. Hitsugaya didn't show his emotions easily, she knew that better than anyone. But he was shedding his icy façade to show her what she truly meant to him. She didn't need him to say it. It was written all over his face. It wasn't just that he didn't want her to die; it was that he couldn't live without her. She sighed. Reaching down to the sword at her side, she drew her zanpakto and held it out in front of her. The blade reflected the last light from the setting sun and it lit up her face like a torch.

"I swear to you, Hitsugaya Toushiro," she said seriously. "I swear to you on Kamikaze that I will not die in this fight."

"Karin," Hitsugaya gasped. "You can't do that!" A zanpakto was a piece of a shinigami's soul. To swear anything by it was to take one's life in one's hands. Hitsugaya had heard strange stories about promises sworn on zanpaktos that couldn't be kept. None of them had happy endings.

"I know exactly what I'm doing Toush," she said, her eyes alight with fierce determination. "Will you accept my promise to you?" Hitsugaya hesitated for a moment, but the finality in Karin's voice told him that he had no choice. He reached out and placed his hand next to Karin's on the hilt.

"I accept," he said honestly. As the words left his lips, Kamikaze began to glow, emitting a dazzling white light. The wind picked up, blowing fiercely through the clearing and spiraling around them like a mini tornado, rustling the grass and whipping through their hair and clothing violently. Karin and Hitsugaya remained as still as possible, their eyes locked together, their hands glued side by side on Kamikaze's hilt as the zanpakto accepted the vow. Eventually, the wind died down and Kamikaze returned to normal. The promise was sealed.

Karin and Hitsugaya stared at each other for another minute or so before Karin got fed up with the gravity they had created.

"Thanks Toush!" she chimed innocently, as if nothing of great significance had just occurred. She sheathed her sword, then swept down and kissed him on the cheek. "Now let's go home, it's getting cold." The sun had set by this time and with it, the temperature had indeed dropped. But Hitsugaya couldn't tell. His face was too hot and his cheek, where he could still feel the pressure from Karin's lips, felt like it was on fire.

**You all see where this is going right? Maybe? I still have some surprises in store though (at least I hope I do…). Well, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was really fun to write.**


	17. Karin's Moment of Truth

The very next day an enormous crowd gathered in the 10th squad courtyard. Almost all the members of 10th squad were there, along with all the taichos and most of the fukutaichos. Kiyone and Sentaro were present as well. This was a rare occasion and was an event not to be missed. It wasn't every day that someone challenged a taicho for his position.

If Karin was nervous, it didn't show. Her face was set and confident. She was even smiling, like she was truly looking forward to her upcoming fight. Hitsugaya couldn't bear to watch her. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists in his anxiety, wishing vaguely that he never promised Karin he would help her train for bankai in the first place.

"Good luck Karin!" Kiyone said cheerily.

"You'll do great!" Sentaro encouraged, slapping her on the back. Karin beamed at them, then turned to Hitsugaya.

"Toush?" she said, and Hitsugaya could hear the need in her voice. He forced himself to look at her. Her eyes were glowing with determination. She was more than ready for this fight. The least he could do was give her his support.

"You promised me Karin," he said, allowing a smile to cross his face, if only for her benefit. "Come back a taicho." She beamed at him, then rushed forward and embraced him in a massive bear hug. She had never hugged him like that before.

"Thanks Toush," she whispered in his ear.

"Are we ready to begin?" Yamamoto announced from the center of the courtyard. Karin smiled at her friends one last time, then approached Yamamoto. From the other side of the yard, Murata strolled over, looking cocky and self-assured, very unlike his usual genial self.

"You know the rules," Yamamoto explained. "This is a fight for the 10th squad taicho position. Everything is permissible, including bankai. The fight will be declared over when one opponent either dies or admits defeat. There is no time limit. You may begin." He shunpoed out of the way and left the field clear for Karin and Murata.

"I still can't believe my own little 3rd seat thought she had the strength to challenge me," Murata said, appraising Karin. "You really think you're up to this?"

"You're the one who's always telling me how strong I am _Murata taicho_." Karin spat out the last words with as much hatred as she could muster. She had avoided calling him that as much as possible since that day in her bedroom. Murata laughed, a harsh, cruel laugh.

"I guess I am. Well, should we get this over with?"

"Fine by me," Karin replied, her lips curling. And then they attacked. Their blades met again and again as they shunpoed around the yard, striking each other so quickly, most of the spectators had difficulty following them.

"Blow, Kamikaze!" Karin cried, and suddenly, Murata was pushed back in a blast of reiatsu-diminishing wind.

"How do you like that?" Karin said triumphantly as Murata stumbled.

"Well well, you are as strong as I gave you credit for. Unfortunately, you're just a bit too young if you think that you can eat away at my reiatsu in small doses. We'll be here all day. What do you say we speed things up a bit?" Murata pointed his zanpakto directly at Karin and held it above his shoulder like a lance.

"Reflect, Mirabunshin!" he called to the sword. His zanpakto started to ripple like water, and the blade's shimmer increased steadily, so that it eventually reflected its surroundings like a fly's eye. The guard, which had been round to begin with, grew ever so slightly in diameter and turned into a perfectly smooth mirror. Karin raised an eyebrow.

"What are you going to do, blind me with my reflection?" she asked incredulously. Murata chuckled.

"Never bothered to learn the true properties of my shikai did you?" he chortled.

"You've never released it in front of me," she retorted.

"Well, since you clearly didn't do your homework, allow me to enlighten you. My zanpakto, Mirabunshin, is capable of creating a perfect mirror image of anything it comes in contact with. Meaning," he paused and rotated the sword so that Karin's face was reflected in the mirror covered guard, "if you want to fight me, you have to get through yourself first." And with that he thrust the sword forward, and an identical copy of Karin jumped out of the mirror and turned to face the original. Karin scowled.

"I don't have time for this!" she barked. "I want to fight you! Are you too much of a coward to fight your own fights?" Murata simply laughed again.

"If you want me, come get me!" he challenged. "I'm right here." Karin didn't need to be told twice. Fan at the ready, she pulled it back to initiate another wind attack, but was suddenly blown off her feet. Karin's reiatsu level decreased as she felt the effects of her own attack course through her body. Refusing to be intimidated, she shunpoed around the clone, closing the fan and raising it high to strike at Murata, but was blocked by the clone's fan before she was even in striking distance. The clone took it one step further and pushed her backwards before flipping the fan open and sending another blast of wind at her, a move Karin had used herself countless times. Refusing to be outdone, Karin sidestepped the next blast and, using a technique born of her Rukongai days, jumped high into the air, did a front flip, and sliced downwards with her fan. She felt it make contact with the clone's hair, but the clone knew the move too and was able to dodge it.

"This is impossible!" Karin thought as she predicted the clone's next move with perfect ease and retaliated with a wind attack. "How can I possibly fight myself? She knows all my moves. And I know hers. This is stupid…" And then a thought struck her. That clone was made when she was in shikai. Maybe there was a way around it after all.

"Bankai!" she screamed. "Tatsumaki Kamikaze!" The wind picked up around her, howling across the courtyard, eager and ready to do its master's bidding. Her fan doubled in length and deadly spikes grew off the end. Now, instead of simply opening into a half circle like a normal fan, she could spread it out into a full circle, creating a much more durable shield. And defense wasn't all that had changed.

"Cyclone attack!" Karin ordered as she waved her powerful new fan. Instead of a simple blast of wind, this new attack created a full tornado.

"Go!" Karin shouted, and she directed the tornado straight towards the clone. It disintegrated in seconds. The tornado died down and Karin turned satisfactorily towards Murata. But her gratified smile fell instantly. Murata was _applauding_!

"Well done Karin, very well done," he said, seeming rather like he had just watched a well performed circus stunt. "I'd expect nothing less from my talented 3rd seat. Excellent use of your bankai. But maybe you forgot that I also have one." Karin braced herself. She hadn't been expecting this fight to be easy.

"Bankai," Murata said. "Togiretogire Mirabunshin." The mirror on the guard grew a little larger and a cracking pattern spider webbed its way across the surface so that it no longer reflected the world outside. The cracks continued along the length of the blade, making it look extremely fragile, like it would shatter at the slightest touch.

"What's this one do?" Karin asked confidently. "Make multiple copies of me? Because I don't think that'll be much harder than fighting just one." Murata smirked.

"Oh no, I'm sure it wouldn't be!" he drawled. "You see, my shikai can only make clones of things it has come in contact with. Your zanpakto for example. But that clone couldn't use your bankai because I hadn't touched your zanpakto in that form. When in bankai however, I can create a clone of anything that has ever threatened me."

"So you're going to make a clone of me in bankai?" Karin concluded.

"Oh no," Murata said sinisterly. "I'm much more creative than that. You see, you are not the only one who has ever threatened me." And with that, he thrust his zanpakto forward and a perfect clone of Hitsugaya jumped out of the hilt. Karin held back a laugh.

"Toush?" she said in disbelief. "Are you _serious_? You couldn't have chosen an easier opponent for me. I trained him! I spar with him every day. I know all his weak points. Do you honestly think he stands a chance?"

"No, I don't," Murata replied, a horrible, sickly grin spreading across his face. "But can you kill him?" Karin checked and her eyes narrowed.

"What are you implying?" she said darkly.

"Only that, if you want to get to me, you have to kill this kid first. I'll be waiting over here." And with that he actually crossed his arms and settled in for the show.

Karin was beyond furious that he was taking her so lightly. She turned to face the Hitsugaya clone. It really did look exactly him. It even had that familiar look in his eyes, the one he always had right before a good match; excitement, confidence, and trust. Karin balked. How dare this clone be such a perfect replica! It wasn't fair. This was screwing with her psyche far more than fighting herself had.

From the sidelines, Hitsugaya saw the internal battle Karin was fighting. It was only a spilt second's hesitation on her part, but Hitsugaya knew her so intimately, he knew exactly what was running through her head.

"Karin!" he cried. "Snap out of it! It's not me!" His voice seemed to bring Karin to her senses.

"Thanks Toush," she whispered, and with that she attacked. It was just like any other sparring match. Hitsugaya was faster than her, so he could avoid even her new cyclone attacks, but she was always the better strategist and she got in a few good hits. But none of them were to vital areas. She always moved at the last second, instinct winning out over good sense. She knew this wasn't Hitsugaya. She _knew _it! But she just couldn't convince her arm to do what she wanted it to. It was too well honed not to hurt him.

The Hitsugaya clone rushed forwards. Karin dodged, then spun on the spot and knocked him to the ground with a forceful kick. She dove, driving her fan directly at his heart. But she stopped, hovering a millimeter above the clone's chest, instinct preventing her from dealing the deadly stroke to her dearest friend. Murata seized on her hesitation.

"Way of destruction 33, Blue Crash!" he incanted, and before Karin could react, she was hit dead on with the most powerful kido attack she had ever seen in her life. It blew her off her feet, and she crashed to the ground. Every bone in her body was on fire. Needless to say, the Hitsugaya clone did not survive the attack. Karin struggled to get to her feet, but before she could, Murata attacked again.

"Way of destruction 33, Blue Crash!" Being hit with the deadly kido not once, but twice, proved to be too much for Karin. Her skin was fried and her bones felt like they were on fire. Every movement was difficult and painful. She turned on her side and vomited up blood. Murata strolled casually over to her.

"In case you haven't already guessed," he drawled lazily, "my strength lies not in the sword, but in kido. Sword fighting is too troublesome to bother with, too bloody for my taste. But there's nothing like the pure control kido gives you. That's where the real thrill comes from. Unfortunately, it's hard to deal the final blow.

"You know, it's a darn shame," he said with a sigh. "I truly enjoyed having you as my 3rd seat. But I suppose all good things must come to an end." He raised his sword high like an executioner.

"Stop!" Hitsugaya screamed, but it was too late. Murata's sword came down like a guillotine. At the very last second, Karin rolled out of the way so that instead of chopping her head off, Murata sliced right through her chest, piercing through her lung which instantly filled with blood.

"This fight is over," Murata declared, and he turned away from her as if she was nothing but a dog. "It was fun while it lasted." Karin tried to speak, but all she could do was burble.

Hitsugaya didn't care how many eyes were on them. He couldn't just stand there anymore.

"Karin!" he cried, sprinting to her side. "Someone help!" Unohana extracted herself from the crowd as Hitsugaya knelt by Karin's side.

"It's alright," he said with as much confidence as he could muster. "It's going to be ok." He took her hand and squeezed it. Karin nodded and closed her eyes against the pain. Unohana examined Karin quickly. Hitsugaya couldn't take it.

"She's going to be fine. Right?" he asked desperately, knowing how pathetic he sounded and not caring. Unohana glanced up at him and the look in her eyes ripped Hitsugaya's heart in half.

"I'm sorry, Hitsugaya fukutaicho," she said sadly. "There is nothing I can do. She's lost too much blood, and the damage is too severe to stop the bleeding."

"What?!" he panicked. "How can there be nothing…?"

"Toush," Karin whispered, and Hitsugaya rapidly turned his head to look at her. She had opened her eyes, although it was clear that she was still in severe pain. "Toush, stop shouting. It hurts my ears." Hitsugaya didn't try to stem the tears that rolled freely down his cheeks.

"You promised," he croaked, for lack of anything better to say. "You promised me you wouldn't die."

"I'm not dead yet," she teased, and Hitsugaya suppressed a sob as his tears increased.They trickled down his chin and dripped onto Karin's face, mingling with her blood.

"Karin you can't…you can't…" Karin reached up a shaky hand and pressed it to his cheek, wiping away the tears.

"Don't cry spoiled rich kid," she chided. "It doesn't become you." Hitsugaya couldn't speak. He placed his hand over Karin's on his face and held it close, relishing in its warmth. It was still so alive, so real, so Karin.

"Karin," he sobbed at last. "Karin, I…"

"Just kiss me Toush," she cut him off. Hitsugaya looked into her eyes, and he saw so much affection reflected in them that it broke his heart again. He leaned forward and his lips met hers. Hitsugaya infused that kiss with as many emotions as he possibly could. He tried to tell her with his lips what he hadn't been able to tell her with words. That he loved her. With every fiber of his being, he loved her. He had always loved her, and he always would love her. His heart belonged to her. Forever. Hitsugaya felt Karin's reiatsu dim and fade, until he couldn't sense it anymore. Her hand on his cheek went limp in his grasp. But he stayed where he was, reluctant to move and see the sight he knew awaited him.

Karin was dead before he broke the kiss.

**You all knew it was going to happen, but that didn't make it any easier to write. Sigh. Please don't be mad at me, remember what this story is called. And again, my internet is spotty, so I don't think I'll be able to post for a few days. Sorry to leave you here, but maybe the next chapter will make up for it (although I'm not sure how happy it can possibly be, what with what just happened. Oh well.)**

**Oh, and to explain, Murata's zanpakto, Mirabunshin, means "Mirror Clone," and his bankai, ****Togiretogire Mirabunshin, means "Broken Mirror Clone." Karin's bankai, Tatsumaki Kamikaze, means "Tornado Divine Wind."**


	18. Fights for Pride

**Yay, I'm finally back! With internet and everything. Again, sorry to leave you off where I did last time, but I hope this chapter will make you all feel a little better…maybe.**

Kiyone was sobbing into Sentaro's shoulder. Sentaro's grief seemed to be beyond tears. But Hitsugaya felt a new emotion course through him as he looked at Karin's broken and defeated body; rage. His reiatsu spike brought everything to a standstill and the crowd, which had been whispering eagerly a moment earlier, fell silent.

"Murata!" Hitsugaya hissed, getting to his feet. "I will be your opponent this time!" His heart was pounding in his chest and his breathing was heavy and ragged. Trails of tears were etched prominently along his cheeks, but he wasn't crying anymore. He could still taste Karin's blood in his mouth, but instead of being disgusted by it, he savored it. It was warm and flowing and was the last part of her that was still alive.

Murata cast an amused eye towards Hitsugaya.

"So you're going to avenge your girlfriend kid?" he ridiculed. "Do you honestly think you can take me?" Hitsugaya's response was to place a ready hand on Hyourinmaru's hilt. Murata sighed.

"As you wish," he said, and raised his sword to create a clone.

"Ukitake taicho!" Kiyone begged desperately, tugging on Ukitake's sleeve. "Stop him! Please! He doesn't even have bankai, there's no way he'll survive this fight…"

"You're right Kiyone," Ukitake said gravely. "The chances are very slim that he will survive."

"Then stop him!" Kiyone screamed, slightly hysterical. "He's your fukutaicho! You can't just let him…"

"If I stop him now, what happens to his pride?"

"Pride?" Kiyone yelled, utterly bewildered. "What does that have to do with anything!? Taicho, he's going to die!"

"Kiyone," Ukitake said gently. "There are two types of fights. Fights for life, and fights for pride. As long as we place ourselves in battle, we must always know the difference. If I stop Hitsugaya-kun now, I could save his life. But what would that do to his pride? He is fighting to avenge the person who meant the most to him in this world. If I stop him, he won't be able to live with himself. So, if he means anything to you, you must let him fight." Kiyone nodded reluctantly, and nervously turned back to the fight at hand. Ukitake closed his eyes.

"So am I to let another fukutaicho fall for the sake of revenge?" he thought with a sigh. "The fates have not been kind to me. Hitsugaya-kun, I implore you, you must win this fight. For those who care about you. For me, for yourself, for Karin. Please, do not fail!"

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!" Hitsugaya shouted, releasing the ice dragon. He sent it flying directly towards Murata, but before it could reach him, it was thrown back by blasts from not one, but five cloned Kamikazes. Hitsugaya checked at the sight of all those Karin's facing him, but instead of letting it intimidate him, he closed his eyes and began to meditate.

"Those things are not Karin," he said urgently to himself. "Karin is dead. They are not Karin. They are not Karin. They are _not_ Karin!"

"_Are you prepared Toushiro?_" came a strong, frosty voice inside his head.

"Prepared for what Hyourinmaru?" Hitsugaya asked the dragon.

"_Prepared to throw away your emotions and focus on the task at hand._"

"…"

"_Your power comes from the ice. Ice is solid and cold, and if you wish to wield your element properly, you must be the same. You must not allow your emotions to overwhelm you in a fight. They are an ice wielder's greatest weakness. Suppress them. Ignore them. Become one with the ice. Only then, can you draw on my true power. You will need it if you wish to win this fight_."

"You mean…"

"_Yes. You are more than ready. You can hear it now. My true name…"_

"Bankai!" Hitsugaya announced aloud to the amazement of the crowd. "Daiguren Hyourinmaru!" Grand ice wings sprouted from his shoulder blades and a long tail grew out of his back. The sky above darkened dangerously as an ominous storm began to brew. Hitsugaya could feel the power of his bankai surging through his veins. He knew what he needed to do.

Murata however, seemed rather amused.

"My my, so we have a fly in our midst!" he said with a laugh. "Do you intend to escape those clones in the air…?" But Murata never got a chance to finish. With a wave of his sword, Hitsugaya sent a blast of ice directly at the Karin clones, trapping them in a frozen grave. They disintegrated as the ice shattered.

"What the…?" Murata stuttered, but it was too late. Before he had a chance to react, Hitsugaya had frozen both his arms and his legs and was standing directly in front of him, his blade pointed at his chest.

"How dare you insult Karin's memory by sending those pathetic excuses for imitations at me!?" he snarled. "This fight is over," he mimicked Murata's earlier words before skewering him in the chest, exactly where he had struck Karin. Hitsugaya ripped his sword from Murata's body and blood splattered everywhere, showering him with its deadly rubies. But Hitsugaya hardly noticed the blood now coating his body. He held his ground, just in case.

Murata collapsed on the floor and gasped for breath, even as the pool of blood spread around him, soaking Hitsugaya's feet.

"Are you proud of yourself kid?" he panted. Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed and he stepped forward, covering Murata with his sword.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he seethed. Murata managed a low chuckle and a maniacal smile.

"You may have beaten me kid, but you cut down your girlfriend in the process. Even she couldn't do that. You turned your heart into ice to win this fight. You've proven that victory is more important to you than love." Hitsugaya's hand tightened on the hilt of his zanpakto and he began to shake. Murata's words were cutting into him like knives. He felt like he himself had just been struck with that attack, rather than Murata.

"You're going to live with that knowledge forever kid," Murata continued, although his words were forced and clearly causing him great pain. "You're going to live with it whether you like it or not."

"You're wrong!" Hitsugaya said bravely, as he tried desperately not to let Murata's words affect him as deeply as he knew they were. The fact was, he _had_ cut down Karin, even if it was just her image, without hesitation. He felt slightly nauseous.

"You know I'm right kid," Murata wheezed. "You know…" His voice faded and his eyes closed, but that deranged smile of his never left his face. Hitsugaya felt Murata's reiatsu flicker and decrease to nothingness. It was over. Murata was dead. He had won.

ooooooooooooooooo

For a moment, nobody made a sound. They couldn't quite believe what they had just witnessed. Finally, Ukitake stepped forwards.

"Congratulations, Hitsugaya taicho," he said.

"Taicho?" Hitsugaya asked confused. He was too busy processing what had just occurred and trying to keep himself from being sick. This was too much. Ukitake smiled.

"You defeated the former taicho in one-on-one combat. According to Soul Society's laws, you're the new 10th squad taicho."

"Taicho," Hitsugaya whispered. The word sounded strange on his tongue. He didn't _want_ to be a taicho. That was Karin, she was the one that wanted this. She was the one who had trained for this, fought for this, died for this. Died. Karin was dead. She wasn't coming back. Ignoring the hundreds of eyes on him, Hitsugaya tore from the crowd, needing to be anywhere else. He wanted to be alone. Murata's words were replaying themselves over and over again inside his head, like a broken record that couldn't be turned off.

"_You may have beat me kid, but you cut down your girlfriend in the process. Even she couldn't do that. You turned your heart into ice to win this fight. You've proven that victory is more important to you than love."_ Hitsugaya couldn't hold in his disgust at himself anymore. As soon as he was far enough away from the watchful eyes of the spectators, he hunched over and vomited several times into the gutter. He vaguely heard a passing shinigami mutter,

"Disgraceful. Drunk this early in the morning. And at his age!" but the words hardly registered with Hitsugaya in his state. Wiping his mouth with a shaky hand, he stood up and began to run. He ran as fast as he could, allowing his legs to carry him wherever they pleased. It didn't really matter where he went. Nothing really mattered. Karin was all that had ever mattered, and now she was gone.

Hitsugaya didn't know why, but somehow, he found himself on the cliff in Rukongai, looking out over the same valley where he and Karin had sat less than 24 hours ago. Where she had promised him on her zanpakto that she wouldn't die.

"You promised," Hitsugaya whispered painfully, balling his hands into fists, remembering the emotion of the previous evening.

"You promised," he repeated louder this time as tears began to leak from his eyes.

"YOU PROMISED!" he screamed, and his shout echoed repeatedly in the valley. And then he broke down. He cried harder and longer than he ever had in his entire life. Curled up in a ball, he let his grief consume him. He allowed his hot tears to flow freely, washing away the mixture of Karin's and Murata's blood that still coated his face. But they couldn't wash away the pain that was eating away at him like a hungry animal, nor could they fill the void that would forever be embedded in his weary heart. There was nothing and no one that could comfort him. Karin was always the one who provided him with comfort. But she was dead. He was on his own now.

**So he's a taicho now. It's kind of a strange way for our little hero to rise in the ranks, but I like it, at least in this story.**

**Shout out to AbaraiSuzuka, ShikallllTema, and queenofspades19 for guessing that this was going to happen before the fights started. You guys just know me so well :)**


	19. Kamikaze

**One more chapter until the time skip (you all know it's coming). This chapter is really important, since there is still some cleanup I need to do before I skip ahead.**

Hitsugaya had no idea how long he sat there. He might even have fallen asleep. He wasn't entirely sure. His brain wasn't really functioning properly. But when he had cried all the tears he had and regained some semblance of composure, he decided that he should probably return to Seireitei. Not that he really wanted to, but he felt that it was his duty. Like it or not, he was a taicho now. But that didn't mean he was ready to take office just yet. So instead, he went to the one place in Seireitei where he still felt he belonged; the 13th squad office.

Ukitake smiled warmly at him when Hitsugaya entered the room.

"I was wondering when you were going to come back, Hitsugaya taicho," he said jovially. "I was getting worried about you."

"Taicho," Hitsugaya whispered. He still wasn't used to the idea.

"Yes, Hitsugaya-kun," Ukitake said firmly. "Taicho. You won that fight fair and square. Becoming 10th squad taicho is your duty and your right. It is a right Karin-san died for. It would besmirch her honor if you did not accept your position with pride." Hitsugaya sighed and looked down at his hands. He knew Ukitake was right.

"Before you go officially claim your squad," Ukitake continued, "I have something for you." He went behind his desk and picked up a sword.

Hitsugaya gasped. He knew that sword. Intimately. He knew the spiraling guard and the dark grey wrappings across the hilt as well as he knew Hyourinmaru's. He had crossed blades with this sword more than any other. And last night, this sword had been the witness to the most powerful vow a shinigami could make.

It was Kamikaze.

"How?" he asked breathlessly, taking the sword with a trembling hand. "She should have disappeared. Karin is…" He stopped, unable to say the words "Karin" and "dead" in the same sentence.

"I know," Ukitake replied, understanding Hitsugaya's unspoken words. "It is exceedingly rare for a zanpakto to remain after the death of her wielder. As a piece of a shinigami's soul, zanpaktos should technically disappear when the soul no longer exists. I cannot possibly explain the reason for Kamikaze's continued presence. But she is here, and she belongs to you. No one else has the right to have her." Hitsugaya ran a loving hand over the sheath and hilt, admiring the zanpakto from every possible angle. It was the last thing he had of Karin's, and he would treasure it with his life.

"Thank you, Ukitake taicho," he said, bowing deeply. Ukitake smiled.

"I am no longer your superior," Ukitake reminded him. "We are on equal footing now, Hitsugaya taicho."

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said absently. "I guess we are."

"You should go now," Ukitake said gently. "Matsumoto is waiting for you. Although, I think you may want to change first. You must be uncomfortable." Hitsugaya looked down at himself and realized for the first time that he was still covered in Murata's blood. In all his grief, he had forgotten that. It didn't really bother him all that much, he was still too numb to the rest of the world, but walking around in a blood-coated shihakusho was probably not the best way to begin his taicho career.

"That might be a good idea," he agreed blandly. Ukitake smiled at him.

"You may find something to change into that will be to your liking," he said, a gleam in his eye. Hitsugaya stared at him blankly, but Ukitake refused to explain.

When Hitsugaya entered his room, he found a brand new captain's haori with the number ten emblazoned on the back ready and waiting for him. He unfolded it and studied it. It was his size, which meant that clearly it was not a leftover from Murata's wardrobe. It was made for him. Or, actually, it may have been made for Karin. It would have fit her too. It took all of Hitsugaya's willpower not to break down again at that thought. But he couldn't afford to cry anymore. He wasn't a child. He was a taicho. He had a new life now, and new responsibilities. Emotions like friendship and love were a thing of the past. He would have to do without them now if he wanted to stay strong. That's what Hyourinmaru had said. So, with a heavy heart, he changed his shihakusho, slipped on the haori, and left to meet with Matsumoto.

ooooooooooooooooooo

The walk to 10th squad was one Hitsugaya had traced many times, but it was different this time. He was accustomed to people bowing to him and addressing him respectfully. He had been a fukutaicho after all. But he was not expecting everyone he passed to trip over themselves in their effort to get as low to the ground as possible while they mumbled a humble, "Hitsugaya taicho." It was a little off-putting at first, but, as Ukitake had reminded him, he had earned this. On Karin's honor. And so, for Karin's honor, he would embrace it.

He opened the door to the 10th squad office (his office now) and Matsumoto jumped up from her place on the couch.

"Hitsugaya taicho," she greeted him, bowing just as everyone else had. "I just thought I'd wait until you got here, so that I could show you where everything important is. Once I've done that, I'll go pack my things."

"Huh?" Hitsugaya asked confused. "Why would you do that? It's _my_ things that need packing. I need to move into the captain's quarters. Once I burn everything that's already in there. Where are you going? I didn't think your room moved."

"Oh," Matsumoto said in surprise. "Well, I just assumed that you wouldn't want me as your fukutaicho."

"And why on earth would you think that?" Hitsugaya inquired. He had no intention whatsoever of replacing Matsumoto. Not that he had really given the matter much thought. He hadn't really thought about much of anything relating to him taking over 10th squad. But he didn't see a reason to get rid of her.

"Well," Matsumoto said awkwardly, "because…because…oh hell, because you know better than anyone that the only reason I have this position at all is because of these!" she declared, indicating her overflowing chest.

"How dare you!" Hitsugaya cried. He had had just about enough for one day.

"How dare I what?" she asked, clearly surprised at his reaction.

"How dare you belittle yourself that way!? I've seen you fight. I've _fought_ you myself. I know I strong you are. And I know how much Ukitake taicho respects you, and I respect his judgment. You've earned your title, not through your body, but through your talents. And if you think for one minute that I'm going to throw you out because of something like that, then you're putting me on the same level as that poor excuse for a human being I just killed." Hitsugaya took a moment to calm himself down. He wasn't used to dealing with so much emotion in one day. He didn't think his body could handle it.

Matsumoto was shocked at his words, but she recovered faster than he did.

"Thanks taicho!" she squealed, and before Hitsugaya knew what was happening, he found himself being suffocated in that very same offending chest. He struggled to free himself.

"But if you do that again, I _will_ kick you out!" he threatened once he was released from the cleavage. Matsumoto simply giggled.

oooooooooooooooooo

And so, a new friendship began. Matsumoto never replaced Karin in Hitsugaya's mind or heart, nothing could, but she provided incredible emotional support for him in his time of need. She was flighty and ditsy, and never touched her paperwork, but Hitsugaya trusted her, and that was enough.

Kamikaze hung over the door to the 10th squad office for years afterwards. Hitsugaya was careful to take her down and polish her, at least once a week, so that she never gathered dust and her shine never faded. He kicked everyone out of the office when he did it, and even went so far as to lock the door. It was his private time with Karin, to reflect and reminisce, and he wanted to spend it alone.

Until one day, when Hitsugaya entered the office and his stomach descended to somewhere around his knees. Kamikaze was gone.

"MATSUMOTO!" he screamed, and somehow, Matsumoto heard him and skidded into the office several minutes later.

"You called taicho?" she asked innocently, wondering what on earth he could be so furious about this early in the morning. Had she finished her paperwork yesterday? No, but she never did, so what…?

"Where's Kamikaze?" Hitsugaya asked, pointing at the empty shelf. Matsumoto shook her head.

"I have no idea taicho," she replied. "Are you sure you put her back after you cleaned her yesterday?" Hitsugaya glared at her.

"Have I ever forgotten?" he growled. Matsumoto chuckled.

"Hyourinmaru must be so jealous," she teased. "You take better care of Kamikaze than you do of him."

"That's not the point!" he shouted. "Where is she?"

"I have no idea taicho," she replied honestly.

"You didn't take her?"

"Taicho," Matsumoto said seriously. "I may tease you about a lot of things, but I know how important that sword is to you. I would _never_ do something like that, not even for a joke. You know that."

"You're right," Hitsugaya sighed. "I'm sorry I accused you."

"It's alright!" Matsumoto sang, suddenly all smiles again. "Come on, I'll even help you look." But try as they might, they couldn't find the sword anywhere. Matsumoto assured him that no one would dare touch it or risk his wrath, something which nobody in Soul Society would do willingly, but that didn't change the fact that the sword had mysteriously and unexplainably vanished into thin air.

oooooooooooooo

Somewhere in the living world, in a small town called Karakura, a baby cried. Two babies in fact.

"Congratulations, Kurosaki-san," the doctor announced happily. "It's twins."

**Finally, the time skip! Next chapter will be set in "real" Bleach time, or whatever time the anime takes place in.**


	20. Deja Vu

**Wow this chapter was hard to write. Normally I get really annoyed when people write chapters like this one, but I tried to put a different spin on it. I hope I succeeded.**

_Eleven Years Later_

The sun rose in the east as it always did, shedding its bright rays over the rooftops of Karakura town. In the Urahara shop, Ururu began her daily sweeping routine. At the Kurosaki clinic, Isshin restocked his shelves with fresh bandages and mumbled about his "idiot son." And in the home of Inoue Orihime, a buxom redhead was hard at work, preparing breakfast. But the chef at the moment was not the owner of the house. She was in Soul Society, training diligently for the upcoming war. No, the one who was currently rummaging through the refrigerator looking for green onions and ice cream was one of Inoue's two houseguests who were borrowing her home in her absence.

Hitsugaya awoke to the smell of burnt eggs and zucchini toast. He scrunched up his nose, wondering what on earth his fukutaicho was thinking. Donning his gigai, he dressed quickly in a black polo shirt and grey pants, thinking vaguely that he would never get used to these clothes, and headed into the kitchen.

"Matsumoto, what are you doing?" he asked, taking in the towering pile of dirty dishes in the sink and the table, which was creaking from its burden of more unidentifiable dishes than Hitsugaya ever thought was possible to create.

"I'm cooking breakfast taicho!" Matsumoto chimed. "You know, to celebrate!" Hitsugaya rubbed his temples in exacerbation.

"I don't see what there is to celebrate…" he began, but Matsumoto cut him off.

"Our anniversary!" she said brightly, beaming at him. "Today's the day you became 10th squad taicho! Don't tell me you forgot?" Hitsugaya scowled. He was about as unlikely to forget this day as he was to forget Hyourinmaru's name. Every year, Matsumoto tried to pretend that this day was a happy occasion, something that was worthy of a party. But Hitsugaya didn't think that there was a whole lot to celebrate. Not today.

"I'm going out," he said coldly, knowing he was being horribly rude to Matsumoto but not feeling as guilty as he could have been. He knew she understood and he also knew that she was expecting this reaction from him. Matsumoto simply sighed.

"It's been thirty years taicho," she reminded him gently. "Don't you think it's about time you let it go?" Hitsugaya rounded on her.

"You suggest that one more time, Matsumoto Rangiku, and so help me, I _will_ find a new fukutaicho!" Matsumoto sighed again.

"I'm sorry taicho," she apologized. "I just want what's best for you." Hitsugaya paused with his hand on the door handle.

"I know," he said sincerely before letting himself out.

oooooooooooooooo

Yuzu was in tears.

"Onii-chan…Onii-chan…hasn't come home yet," she sniffled into her bowl.

"Don't cry Yuzu," Karin said casually, shoveling rice into her face. "He'll come home the minute you stop crying. Wherever he is, I'm sure he doesn't want you worrying about him."

"That's right!" Isshin boomed enthusiastically. "Ichigo is of the age where he is off doing manly stuff!"

"I keep telling you, it's called puberty!" Karin yelled, decking her father in the face as he leaned in for a suffocating bear hug. "I'm off. Thanks for lunch Yuzu." She slipped on her shoes, slung a bag carrying her soccer ball over her shoulder, and headed off to meet her friends.

Karin sighed. No matter what she told Yuzu, the fact was that she was incredibly worried about her brother. But she alone out of the rest of the family knew that he was away doing shinigami things, not whatever the heck it was that her dad kept rambling on about.

"Ichi-nii," she thought to herself, remembering the few times she had seen him dressed as a shinigami. "Ichi-nii is, definitely off somewhere." Suddenly, her frustration got the better of her.

"Damn it!" she screamed, kicking her soccer ball as hard as she could. The ball broke free of the bag holding it and started to roll down the adjacent hill.

"Not good!" Karin cried, chasing after her rogue ball. She raced down a flight of stairs and jumped over the railing, but stopped dead as her ball came to a halt under the foot of a white haired boy.

Karin froze. She knew that boy. She _knew_ him. She couldn't remember ever having met him before, but that didn't matter. She felt like, somehow, she knew this boy better than she knew herself.

A memory floated into Karin's head. Well, not so much a memory. More like a sense of déjà vu, since it most definitely was not her memory. But it flashed in her mind so clearly, it might as well have happened to her yesterday.

_She was lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood. Her skin was horrifically burnt and there was a deep gasp in her chest, slicing her lung clean in half and making breathing nearly impossible. A boy with white hair and intense jade eyes which were filled with tears hovered over her, squeezing her hand so tightly it hurt._

_"You promised," he croaked. "You promised me you wouldn't die."_

_"I'm not dead yet," she teased. The boy suppressed a sob as his tears increased. They trickled down his cheek and dripped onto her face, mingling with her blood._

_"Karin you can't…you can't…" Karin reached up a shaky hand and pressed it to his cheek, wiping away the tears._

_"Don't cry spoiled rich kid," she chided. "It doesn't become you." The boy placed his hand over Karin's on his face and held it close._

_"Karin," he sobbed. "Karin, I…"_

_"Just kiss me Toush," she cut him off. _

Karin was jolted suddenly out of her daydream as she realized that the boy in front of her was speaking. He looked markedly like the boy who had been crying in her false memory, but he seemed slightly older.

"This yours?" he asked casually, indicating her soccer ball, which he was examining with a strange look on his face. Karin nodded.

"That was dangerous. Be more careful." With that, he kicked the ball back to her. She caught it, and as she did so, she was hit with another sense of déjà vu, just as realistic as the last one.

_She was walking down the hallway of a very traditional looking building,_**__**_carrying a towering stack of paperwork, when she heard someone call her name._

_"Hey Karin!"_

_"Toush!" she said happily, turning to face that same white haired boy and causing her tower to wobble ominously. The boy, who was kneeling on the ground, stood up, a piece of paper grasped in his hands._

_"This yours?" he asked, indicating the paper which had 10__th__ squad written across the top. "That was dangerous. Be more careful." Karin laughed as the boy placed the paper on top of her stack._

_"What's dangerous about it? It's just a work order. One of the bathrooms has a leaky faucet, it's nothing urgent…"_

_"I don't want to think about the consequences of you losing a piece of paperwork, that's all," the boy replied seriously. Karin raised an eyebrow._

_"Toush, I don't know what you're talking about. Murata taicho's a really great guy. Honestly. A little flighty, but I can deal with that. I think Ukitake taicho and Matsumoto fukutaicho just have this conspiracy against him or something." The boy cast her a wary look._

_"I just don't want you to get hurt." Karin laughed._

_"Toush, I can take care of myself! You know that better than anyone."_

_"Ok," he said finally. "Do you want help carrying that?" Karin shook her head._

_"No, I'm fine thanks. I'm sure you've got your own stuff to do. See ya!" _

Karin tried to clear her mind. She had no idea what these images were that she was seeing, but she did know that that white haired boy was intimately linked to them. But by the time she glanced up to get a better look at him, he had disappeared.

oooooooooooooo

"That was really weird," Hitsugaya thought to himself as he wandered aimlessly. Maybe it was because he had Karin on the brain today, this being the anniversary of her death and everything, but that girl bore such a strong resemblance to her, that he had almost called her Karin out of sheer instinct. She even played soccer. Needless to say, he had escaped from her as quickly as he could to avoid staring at her. The last thing he needed was some living girl thinking he was interested in her or something.

Hitsugaya kicked a stone that was lying on the sidewalk and it hit its mark, the dead center of a nearby trashcan, perfectly. Not that he had had any doubt that he would make it. He may not have played soccer in decades, but his skills hadn't dampened in the slightest. If anything, they had improved, since his increased speed, flexibility, and agility that had come from his hours of tireless sword training were only assets, not hindrances, to his soccer skills. Not that it mattered. He had no intention of ever playing that childhood game ever again. It reminded him too much of Karin.

Matsumoto was right. It had been thirty years since Karin had died, but his feelings for her hadn't faded one bit. He missed her so much it was physically painful, like a noose constantly squeezing his heart. And he still loved her. Even after all these years, his heart, mind, and soul still belonged to her. That hadn't changed, and it never could.

He sighed. He hated that he was stuck in the living world today, but he was needed here to lead the advance guard, so he really had no choice. Hitsugaya had always made every effort to be off duty today, or as off duty as a taicho ever gets, so that he could spend the day wallowing in his memories. He usually spent this day sitting on that cliff in Rukongai, waiting for the sunset. It was strange. They had only ever sat there together once, but for some reason, that place was more important to him than the soccer field in 77th district, the Shinigami Academy, or any place in Seireitei they had frequented. Today however, Hitsugaya couldn't go to that little clearing on the cliffside. But that didn't mean he intended to miss the sunset. He had spent much of his free time over the last several weeks scoping out an appropriate spot to watch it from, and had finally found one. It was even on the edge of a cliff. He had been there several times before, but today was different. Today was special. He headed over to his chosen location and leaned on a rather convenient rail, content to disappear into his memories until sunset.

oooooooooooooo

Hours later, Karin and her friends left the soccer field, wondering how on earth they were going to win the soccer game they had just promised to play with a group of hot-headed middle schoolers.

"Let's look for someone else who would be good at soccer!" Karin suggested.

"Who else is there?" one of her friends asked. Karin frowned.

"There's gotta be somebody," she replied. They walked home in silence for a while, each one thinking hard about possible players, when Karin saw someone up ahead. He was leaning against a railing at the top of the hill they were climbing, and seemed to be examining his cell phone with mild interest.

"He's from this afternoon…" she thought to herself. She didn't know what it was, but something about this boy attracted her. He was just so familiar somehow. Like a long lost friend. And he was definitely connected to those weird déjà vu episodes she had had. Karin had no intention of wasting this opportunity to talk to him. So, despite her friends' protests, she ran up to him.

Hitsugaya looked up as she approached and his heart inadvertently skipped a beat.

"What is she doing here?" he thought. Up close, her resemblance to Karin was remarkable. She even smiled the same way, and the way she carried herself, with her shoulder's held high, exuding confidence…No, stop, he ordered himself. This isn't Karin. Just some girl that looks like her. You've just got Karin on the brain, that's all.

"You picked up my ball, didn't you?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," Hitsugaya agreed simply.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," he replied, and, for lack of anything better to do, turned back to his phone, where he pretended to type something. Maybe if he seemed busy, she would go away. He couldn't look at this girl. She's not Karin, she's not Karin, she's not…

"Hey, what school are you from?" Oh that did it.

"Hah? I'm not from any school! I'm busy! Go away." But the girl wasn't deterred in the slightest.

"You can play soccer, can't you?" she asked. Hitsugaya closed his eyes in exacerbation.

"Who knows?" he replied vaguely. Definitely not Karin. Karin wouldn't ask. She would just assume. Like the first time he had met her, when, without pretense, she had just flat out said…

"We're having a game soon. Will you play on our team?" Luckily the girl was pulled away by her friends so she missed the flicker of shock that flashed behind Hitsugaya's eyes at her words. Wasn't that _exactly_ what Karin had said to him when they first met? Maybe he was just remembering it wrong. It had been many years ago after all. But still, those words echoed around in his brain, repeating themselves over and over again.

"I should get out of here," he thought as the girl whispered hurriedly with her friends. "This is getting strange." Then one of the boys in the group called him a midget. Hitsugaya, who's emotions were already running high today (well, high for him anyway), reached the breaking point.

"What did you say?!" he yelled. "Who the hell is a super midget?" Wow, he swore. He hadn't sworn in _years_! Karin had forced that out of him long ago. Maybe her influence on him was indeed slipping. Furious at that thought, he slammed his phone shut and started to walk away, ignoring the Karin-like girl who called after him.

Karin hated being ignored more than anything. Especially by this boy, who she had an inexplicable desire to get to know better. She had to stop him. She had to. The soccer ball in her hand gave her an idea. Before she could think too hard about her actions, she wound up and shot the ball directly at his head. With the reflexes of a cat, the boy jumped into the air, flipped upside down, and kicked the ball a hundred miles an hour directly towards the center of their little group. As the ball whizzed past Karin's head, she had her third sense of déjà vu.

_She was on a horribly abused soccer field with this same white haired boy and two people she had never seen before. The white haired boy raced forwards with the ball and scored a truly spectacular goal._

"_Wow," Karin marveled one. "You've really got the hang of this! But can you do this? Sentaro!" The other boy on the field, obviously called Sentaro, took his cue and sent a ball flying directly towards her head. Karin waited until the last moment, then jumped high into the air, flipped upside-down, and sent the ball sailing exactly midway between the two rocks they were using as goal posts. Karin landed gracefully and smirked at the white haired boy, who was staring at her like he had never seen anything like her._

_"Aw, close your mouth," she teased. "You look like a dead fish."_

_"Do not!" the boy retorted._

_"Do to!" she insisted. "Oh quiet down!" she yelled at the other two players who had started to chuckle._

_"So," she said, turning back to the boy. "You want to try my patented signature move?"_

_"Why not," he said with a casual shrug. "It can't be that hard?" Karin's lip curled._

_"You asked for it!" she cried, then kicked the ball straight at his head. He froze for the tiniest second, then gathered up his strength and jumped. He missed the ball entirely and landed on his butt mid-flip._

_"Ow!" he whined as Karin burst into laughter. "Shut up!" he barked._

_"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get it eventually," she said in mock encouragement. "And quit swearing." The boy stuck out his tongue at her._

The sickening sound of the ball flattening her friend's face brought Karin back to reality. She gulped. That was one heck of a kick!

"All right!" she cried triumphantly as her friends surrounded the poor boy, who looked extremely uncomfortable.

In the subsequent conversation, Karin learned that this boy's name was Hitsugaya Toushiro, a name that felt almost as familiar to her as his face was, but her enthusiastic friends wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise. She stood back, wondering where on earth she could have met this person. It was such a strange feeling, that she knew him but didn't at the same time.

Hitsugaya didn't know why he had used that move. Maybe it was instinct since the ball was flying towards his head. But he didn't have to kick it. He could just as easily have side-stepped it to avoid it. But with Karin on the brain, and the ball coming at him, he just couldn't resist performing her signature move. Now however, he was regretting it. He had forgotten how impressive that move looked to those who hadn't seen it before.

Hitsugaya's cell phone rang and, instantly serious, he flipped it open. He relaxed.

"It's just a hollow," he thought to himself. Nothing to worry about. He looked back up at the group in front of him, and saw that the Karin-like girl had also noticed the hollow. Well, with her elevated reiatsu level, he wasn't surprised. What surprised him was the words that came out of her mouth.

"This feeling again…" she mumbled. And suddenly, Hitsugaya was lost in a memory.

_He was in his dorm room at the Shinigami Academy, trying desperately not to think about the events of the previous evening. Karin, Kiyone, and Sentaro had accidently gotten drunk off of some spiked chocolates, and Karin, after teasing him for his lack of "experience", had taken it upon herself to give him his first kiss._

_There was a knock on the door, and he could sense from the reiatsu that it was Karin._

"_Good afternoon," he said opening the door. "I see you've finally dragged yourself out of bed."_

_"Af…Afternoon?" Karin stuttered, confused. "What time is it?"_

_"About 2:30," he replied._

_"2:30!" Karin cried. "I haven't slept this late since…" but she stopped abruptly._

"_Karin, are you alright?" he asked with concern as she placed one hand on her mouth and the other on the doorpost, gripping it for dear life._

_"This feeling again…" was all she could manage to say. And then she retched forward and threw up all over him. _

The ringing of his phone reminded him of where he was. He looked down at the screen and scoffed.

"I'm the only one near it," he thought in exasperation. Dealing with small-fry hollows was not exactly how he wanted to spend the remainder of the sunset, but he had no choice. Turning on his heel, he ran away from the group.

"Toushiro, where are you going?!" one of the boys yelled.

"Something came up!" he called back. "Sorry! I can't help out." Karin watched him run away and another memory that did not belong to her crept into her mind at his parting words.

_She was hiding in a bush with the same two people who had been in her previous déjà vu, spying on the now named Hitsugaya Toushiro and a short brunette girl, both of whom were busily eating watermelon on their front porch. Hitsugaya spat a string of watermelon seeds into the bush she was hiding in, and they hit the girl beside Karin in the face._

"_Ewww!" she shrieked. The girl next to Hitsugaya screamed but he just slapped his forehead._

_"You blew our cover you stupid girl!" the Sentaro cried._

_"Who's stupid!" the girl yelled. "You'd think it was gross too if you got hit full in the face with a bunch of watermelon seeds."_

_"Oi, Kiyone, Sentaro, I can hear you you know," Hitsugaya called, and the three of them emerged from the bush. Kiyone and Sentaro looked sheepish, but Karin herself was just pissed._

_"I knew I shouldn't have brought these idiots along," she said, glaring at her friends, who at least had the decently to look ashamed._

_"How did you find me?" Hitsugaya asked. "And what are you doing here?" Karin grinned._

_"With reiatsu like that, it'd be harder not to find you Toush," she teased, coming over to him and ruffling his hair. "You're a right little shinigami when it comes to that." Hitsugaya scowled and pushed her hand away._

_"I am not a shinigami!" he stated angrily._

_"And to answer your second question," Karin continued, ignoring his comment, "we're here because it's time. Hiroshi won't wait any longer."_

_"It's got to be today?" he moaned. _

_"Yeah," Karin replied. "Or Hiroshi's gonna break my other knee. You coming?" Hitsugaya looked over at the girl on the porch, who looked rather confused._

_"Something came up," he answered. "Sorry I can't help out." Karin glared at him._

"Karin. Oi, Karin, are you alright?" her friend asked. Karin awoke from her daydream and looked at her concerned friends. She had really been lost in that one.

"Yeah," she replied. "I'm fine."

"Man, but Toushiro's amazing isn't he?" one of her friends gushed. "He'll be our secret weapon!" Karin zoned out as her friends continued to glorify this stranger's talents. She was too lost in her own thoughts, wondering why on earth she was having memories of things that had clearly never happened to her.

oooooooooooooo

That night, Karin dreamed that she was in a swamp watching Hitsugaya kiss a frog. It was the most realistic dream she had ever had, and she even woke up laughing.

**There you go AbaraiSuzuka, a long chapter :) Even though most of it is things you've already seen. Oh well. I hope this was different enough from a boring retelling of episode 132 to keep your interest.**


	21. Hitsugaya's Secrets

**Thanks for your reviews. I'm glad people weren't bored by the last chapter. I'm sure you all guessed, (since I didn't finish it last time) that episode 132 is going to continue here, but again, I tried to make it original. And there is much more to this chapter than just a simple re-telling of the episode, so I think you'll enjoy it. At least, I hope you do :)**

Hitsugaya didn't show up for soccer practice the next day and Karin found herself much more upset than she expected to be. She was drawn to him, like a fly to honey. It was very off-putting. Karin liked to think of herself as an independent girl, but there was just something about Hitsugaya that made her want to be close to him. The bizarre daydreams she was having weren't helping either.

"I'm going to look for Toushiro," she told her friends, then set off to the one place she could think of to find him; the railing where she has spoken to him yesterday. The sun was setting as she ran up the hill, and in the distance, she saw a shock of white hair.

"I thought he'd be here!" she thought excitedly. "Toushiro!"

"You again?" he said in a board voice as she caught her breath. In reality, his heart jumped ever so slightly when he saw her, but he brushed it off.

"She's not Karin," he thought for the thousandth time. "Karin is dead. I watched her die." But as this girl reprimanded him for not coming to practice, he couldn't help but feel a comfort with her that he only felt with Karin. Like he could be himself around her. Like he could share secrets with her and she wouldn't tease him; too much.

"Hey, why do you come here?" she asked. "Is it close to your home?" Boy, talk about secrets. It was as if she knew that the sunset was important to him.

"She's not Karin!" he repeated in his head. Then he remembered that the girl was waiting for an answer.

"Not really," he replied. Then he sighed and looked up at the yellow and orange ball decorating the horizon. And, before he could stop himself, he had blurted out,

"This is the best place I could find to look at the sky. It brings back memories." Ok, now he was embarrassed. This girl _wasn't_ Karin. He shouldn't be spilling his soul to her! He was really getting soft.

He tried to brush her off and leave casually, but his ringing phone distracted him. He opened it and gasped. A huge hollow, not too far away. He broke into a run, but was suddenly stopped by a hand on his arm. He checked and turned to look at the girl who was holding him fast, refusing to let him go.

"Don't go that way!" she said desperately. "W-well uh…I mean…I have a bad feeling about over there." Rationally, Hitsugaya knew that she was talking about the hollow, but his mind instantly reminded him of something else.

_He and Karin were in the kitchen in the Kuchiki manor, shoveling food as quickly as they could into bags._

"_Let's go!" Sentaro called impatiently from outside, and Karin and Hitsugaya gathered up their ill-gotten gains and hurried out. They started retracing their steps back to the servants' door, but as they were passing close to the house, Karin stopped them._

"_Don't go that way!" she warned. They stared at her._

"_Why?" Hitsugaya asked. "It's the fastest way back." Karin paused for a moment._

"_W-well uh…I mean…I have a bad feeling about over there." Hitsugaya glared at her._

"_You're just being paranoid," he scolded._

"_No I'm not!" she retorted. "I feel like there are people over there!" They surveyed the area, but it was deserted._

"She couldn't be…?" he thought to himself. No! She's not! But the more he spent time with her, the more this girl really did resemble Karin in every possible way. But his thoughts were interrupted again by his phone, which beeped, indicating that that the huge hollow had been defeated.

"Toushiro," Karin said, "what's wrong?"

"No," he replied. "It's nothing."

"Hey, you'll come tomorrow, won't you?" she pleaded. Hitsugaya could almost see the longing in her face. He turned away from her, refusing to look into her eyes. It was as if this girl knew that she reminded him of someone important, and desperately needed to spend more time with him to figure out who it was.

"Who knows?" he replied vaguely. He wasn't entirely sure what answer he wanted to give. He knew that he shouldn't get himself involved in human affairs, but he just couldn't let this girl go.

oooooooooooooooo

After much debate and hesitation, Hitsugaya decided that watching her practice couldn't hurt. So he sat on a nearby rooftop and observed. The more he watched, the more it bothered him. She was exactly like Karin in so many ways: her facial expressions, the way she took control over the situation, even the way she walked, was so reminiscent of his dearest friend that Hitsugaya really did feel like she had come back from the dead. He didn't quite know what to make of it.

Suddenly, Hitsugaya heard a most unwelcome sound; his fukutaicho's voice.

"Taicho!" Matsumoto sang from behind him and he glared at her. How dare she interrupt him?

"Have you become a stalker?" she teased.

"You're wrong," he replied, annoyed at how dangerously close to the truth she was. But this wasn't really stalking. Was it? "There's just something I'm worried about." Matsumoto glanced at what was holding Hitsugaya's attention. Or rather, _who_ was holding his attention. She continued in her bothersome teasing about him liking a girl from the living world, and eventually, Hitsugaya got fed up and left. Unfortunately, Matsumoto followed.

"Hey, taicho," she said in a much more serious tone than she had used before. "Is it just me, or does that girl look a lot like Karin?" Hitsugaya checked.

"You think so too?" he asked, looking up at her. Matsumoto smiled.

"So you did notice! Is that why you were watching her?" Hitsugaya sighed.

"It's not just her looks," he explained. "It's everything about her. The way she talks, it's identical. Her movements, her actions, they're all the same. She's like her clone. It's the strangest thing I've ever seen."

"Taicho, you don't think…" she paused midsentence, thinking hard.

"Think what?" Hitsugaya prompted.

"Think that maybe, she's a reincarnation." Hitsugaya frowned.

"No," he stated flatly.

"Why not?" Matsumoto inquired. "If she seems so alike, then maybe…"

"She's not a reincarnation!" he barked. "That's impossible!" Matsumoto narrowed her eyes.

"That's a lie taicho," she said forcefully.

"What?" Hitsugaya sneered with authority. "How dare you…?"

"It's a lie and you know it!" Matsumoto continued, refusing to be intimidated. "Reincarnations happen sometimes, you know they do. They're rare, but they're not impossible. And Karin's death is already suspect because Kamikaze hung around for all those years! Come to think of it, that girl down there looked about eleven. Didn't Kamikaze disappear eleven years ago? So why don't you think…?"

"Because she can't be," Hitsugaya stated soundly. Matsumoto was relentless.

"Taicho, I just don't understand why you wouldn't jump at this chance! If this really is Karin's reincarnate, then maybe you can find a way to bring her memories back! Why wouldn't you…?"

"Because my heart can't handle it!" Hitsugaya cried. He paused, embarrassed at his confession, and he turned away from Matsumoto. "Because I can't afford to get my hopes up that maybe she's alive, because if it's not her…" he trailed off, not knowing exactly how to finish that sentence. "Because I don't want to think that maybe things will be different this time." Matsumoto gave him a compassionate look.

"Taicho," she said gently. "Your love for Karin has stayed strong all this time. I'm sure that, if her memories came back, Karin would still love you just as much as she did the day she died…" Hitsugaya shook his head.

"You don't understand Matsumoto," he said sadly. "She never loved me."

"Taicho!" Matsumoto gasped. "How can you say that?! Of course she loved you!"

"No," Hitsugaya stated firmly. "She was my friend, yes. She cared for me, yes. But she never loved me."

"How can you possibly say such a thing?" Matsumoto protested. "I saw you two together. I saw the way she looked at you. How can you even for one second think that she didn't love you?" Hitsugaya looked at the ground. He closed his eyes for a moment, lost in memories he didn't want to relive.

"She told me to kiss her," he said finally. "When she was dying."

"See!" Matsumoto exclaimed. "That proves it…"

"Are you not listening to me?" Hitsugaya snapped. "I said she _told_ me to kiss her. Not asked, told. She knew I loved her. She knew it. And she wanted to grant me that one final wish before she died. That was all. It was for me, not for her." Hitsugaya breathed heavily. He had never told that to anyone, and he wondered why he spilling this secret now. Matsumoto gave him the most pitying look he had ever seen.

"Have you really been living all these years believing that taicho?" she asked painfully. "Karin loved you. And if you can't see that, then you're not as brilliant as everyone gives you credit for." Hitsugaya growled.

"And what on earth makes you think that?!" he asked dangerously. Matsumoto stood her ground.

"Taicho," she said gently. "Are you forgetting why she died?"

"How could I ever forget that?" he asked bitterly. "She died because that bastard sliced her in half!" Matsumoto shook her head.

"No," she said earnestly. "She died because she couldn't kill you." She paused for a moment to let that sink in properly, then continued.

"You knew Karin better than anyone. Do you honestly think for one second that she would have hesitated to kill the clone of anyone else? Is that not proof enough for you? She loved you taicho. I know she did." Hitsugaya squeezed his fists together tightly, refusing to allow himself to break down. Spilling his thoughts was one thing, but crying was out of the question.

"All the more reason why I don't deserve her," he said in a defeated voice.

"Huh?" Matsumoto asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"She couldn't kill me," Hitsugaya continued. "But I had no problem killing her. I froze five of those clones to get to Murata. FIVE! Without thinking twice. Even if everything you're saying is true, which it isn't, I don't deserve to have her back."

"You're letting that scum bag's words get to you, aren't you?" Matsumoto spat with more venom than Hitsugaya had ever heard her put into her voice.

"So what?!" Hitsugaya shouted wildly. "So what if I'm listening to him? It doesn't change the fact that he was right!"

"You know what I think?" Matsumoto said knowingly. "I think you're scared." Hitsugaya shot her a threatening look.

"Scared?"

"Yes taicho. Scared. You don't want to get close to this girl because you're afraid that she is Karin and that if she regains her memories of her previous life, she won't love you as much as you love her. Or that she won't forgive you for killing a stupid clone in order to avenge her. And you'd rather believe that she's still dead than find her and face those issues head on. Is that really all your friendship meant to you? Is it not worth having her back if she doesn't love you?" Hitsugaya scowled but didn't respond. Matsumoto's words had struck him deeply.

"It doesn't matter anyway," he said at last. "Karin's dead. She's not coming back."

"But this reincarnate…" Matsumoto objected, but Hitsugaya cut her off.

"I said she's dead!" he yelled with finality. "That girl is not Karin. No matter how much I want her to be." Matsumoto sighed.

"Maybe you should ask Ukitake taicho what he knows about reincarnation," she suggested in a last desperate attempt. Hitsugaya sighed.

"Maybe I will," he lied, and both he and Matsumoto knew perfectly well that he had no intention of doing anything of the sort.

**Next chapter is the last one that will be set in episode 132. I promise. I wasn't expecting it to take as long as it has, but there was just a lot of stuff I wanted to have happen. I hope you don't mind.  
**


	22. Signs and Signals

**As promised, this is the last chapter set in episode 132. This one was surprisingly difficult to write, mainly because Hitsugaya doesn't know Karin's name yet, so I had trouble sticking in her thoughts and feelings since he just refers to her as "the girl". I hope it doesn't get confusing because of that.**

Karin collapsed on her bed. Hitsugaya hadn't shown up for practice again, and she wondered why on earth that bothered her so much. Did she have a crush on him or something? No. That wasn't it. What she felt was different. More powerful, more meaningful. She wasn't in love with him or anything, how could she be? She had only just met him. But had she? Why was she having all these strange memories? And they weren't your average, ordinary experiences of déjà vu, where it shakes you up for a minute, then disappears. These were associated with intense emotions that Karin couldn't for the life of her begin to sort out. They weren't love exactly. They went beyond that. If she believed her "visions" as she had started to call them, then she had, in some other life perhaps, grown up, played, worked, loved, and died with Hitsugaya by her side. It felt surreal.

"I'm going insane!" she thought, rolling over in a huff. This was too weird. How could she have memories and feelings from a life she had never known? But she had to calm down. The big soccer game was tomorrow, and she needed her strength. She couldn't stay up all night worrying about these strange sensations. Closing her eyes, Karin eventually drifted off to sleep, and started to dream.

_She was walking down a hallway that looked to her like it belonged in a dorm. She was wearing a white sleeping yukata and her hair was rather disheveled. The bright sun streaming in the windows and the chirping birds told her that this was early in the morning. She stopped in front of one of the many identical doors that lined the hallway and slid it open. A girl, who Karin knew from her previous déjà vu's was called Kiyone, smiled deviously at her._

_"So," she prompted. "Do I win the bet?"_

_"I'm not sure," Karin replied, sitting down on the floor. Kiyone came over to her and sat down beside her._

_"Ok, what happened?" Karin sighed._

_"Well, I managed to get him into bed with me, breaking the heater was a brilliant idea by the way, but he…"_

_"Are you really telling me he didn't make a move?!" Kiyone gasped._

_"Well, he did and he didn't," Karin said awkwardly. "I mean, he kissed me, but…"_

_"HE KISSED YOU!" Kiyone screamed. Karin glared daggers at her._

_"Keep your voice down!" she hissed. Kiyone blushed._

_"Sorry," she apologized. "But kissing you sure sounds like a move to me! So I do win the bet!" Karin shook her head._

_"No," she said sadly. "It was just a kiss on the cheek. He thought I was asleep. Then he actually turned his back on me. He didn't touch me for the rest of the night. So I think I win the bet. That boy has too much self control at all the wrong times." Kiyone giggled._

_"Why don't you just jump him?" she suggested. Karin glared at her._

_"This isn't a joke Kiyone!" she retorted. "Toush isn't Hiroshi or Izumi. He's…important to me. I can't just mess with him like that. I shouldn't even have done what I did last night."_

_"But it was your idea!" Kiyone protested. "You were the one that said that Hitsugaya-kun wouldn't have the guts to do anything, even if you slept in his bed! You were the one who said he was too moral. You were the one who…"_

_"I know, I know," Karin waved her off. "But we're not making any more bets on this kind of stuff. I can't toy with Toush like that."_

_"It's not toying if you want it," Kiyone said pointedly._

_"I don't know what I want," Karin replied grudgingly. Kiyone rolled her eyes._

_"Oh please Karin, don't tell me you of all people are dense on this topic. Just because you've never been one for romance before doesn't mean you should ignore these feelings inside of you. You're right that Hitsugaya-kun isn't Hiroshi-kun or Izumi-kun. Because they were just for fun. Hitsugaya-kun, he means something to you. I know you can see that. That's why you agreed to take this stupid bet in the first place. Because you __**want**__ something to happen, and for some reason you're too afraid to go out and get it on your own. That's so not like you." Karin scoffed._

_"What, you screw Sentaro a couple of times and now you think you're the expert?" she glowered, but she wasn't really angry and she knew Kiyone knew it. She sighed._

_"Maybe I'll say something to him. But not yet. He needs more time. We both do. I'll know when the right time comes. Anyway, let's get ready. We don't want to be late for our first day in the Gotei 13."_

Karin opened her eyes and was shocked to find that her face was wet.

"Tears?" she wondered. Absently, she reached up and touched her cheek. If she thought hard enough, she could almost feel the sensation she had had on that night that was the topic of her dreamed discussion; that of Hitsugaya lightly brushing his nervous lips across her waiting flesh. How warm they had felt. How she had yearned for him to do something else, maybe wrap his arm around her, or be bold enough to migrate from her cheek to her lips. But no. He had coldly and respectfully turned his back to her and didn't so much as touch her again. Even now, the thrill at being kissed and the disappointment of the ultimate rejection consumed Karin, despite the fact that she really couldn't remember the event ever taking place.

"I really do think I'm going crazy," she mumbled before curling up and going back to sleep.

ooooooooooooooooooo

Hitsugaya sat on the roof of Inoue's house in a deep reverie. What he had told Matsumoto was true. He didn't think his heart could handle investigating this girl, only to discover that she had nothing to do with Karin. He couldn't afford to have his heart broken again. But then why was he so intrigued by her? Why had he been watching her?

He sighed. Matsumoto's words had had a profound impact on him. Maybe he was scared. But scared of what? That Karin didn't love him? Was it really worth giving up this chance to possibly find his friend again just so he didn't have to hear her say she didn't love him? What kind of person did that make him?

Decision made, Hitsugaya rose and jumped off the roof. Even if it came to nothing, he couldn't just ignore the similarities any more. He had to learn more about this girl.

ooooooooooooooo

The walk to the soccer field was horribly dusty.

"Why would they play somewhere like this?" he wondered, then remembered the condition of the field he himself had trained on. The dust started to clear and he heard the Karin-like girl call his name excitedly. She and her friends ran over to him as he approached the field.

"You're late!" she reprimanded. Late? Late for what? Oh right, didn't this girl ask him to play in their soccer game? Isn't that what started this whole thing?

"I didn't promise anything," he replied nonchalantly.

"What's with him?" asked a member of the opposing team.

"Now we're going to start fighting back!" the girl declared. As the other team mocked her, Hitsugaya was struck by how much confidence and pride this girl had.

"Just like Karin," he thought.

"Everyone," she said assertively, "we're gonna catch up all at once!" Wait, she was assuming he was playing?! He had no intention of doing anything of the sort! He just wanted to talk to her. To see if, well, he wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for, but some sign or signal that was better than the ones he already had. Something to prove to him that she really was Karin.

"Hey, wait," he protested. "I didn't come here to play soccer…" but he stopped dead as she turned towards him and he saw a rather impressive welt on her knee. Hitsugaya knew enough about injuries to know how painful it must be to run with that.

"You're…hurt," he said with concern. The girl brushed it off.

"This is nothing!" she said. Hitsugaya stared at her knee, suddenly lost in another memory.

_They were in 78__th__ district, battling Hiroshi and his cronies in the soccer game that would eventually change his life forever. Karin raced towards the goal to set up for the next play. Once she was in scoring range, Hitsugaya sent the ball speeding towards her, all set up for her signature move. But before it reached her, something that wasn't the ball made contact with Karin's leg; Hiroshi. He regained his balance as Karin collapsed under her own weight, clutching her knee in pain, and the ball landed easily in the goalie's hands. Hitsugaya, Kiyone, and Sentaro rushed to Karin's side._

_"Karin, are you alright?" Kiyone asked in concern. Karin couldn't respond. She was too busy trying to apply pressure to her rapidly swelling knee. Nearby, Hiroshi snickered._

_"Aw, are you out already?" he asked in a pretend baby voice. "And here your team was doing so well!" Karin shot him a death glare._

_"I can still play!" she insisted. She tried to stand, but couldn't support her own weight and fell to the ground again._

_"Karin, don't be stupid!" Kiyone pleaded._

_"We can do it without you!" Sentaro said fervently. "Just sit out."_

_"You're injured," Hitsugaya noted with concern. "You shouldn't be doing this anymore."_

_"This is nothing!" she insisted, trying and failing to stand for the second time. "I can still play!"_

_"No you can't," Hitsugaya stated firmly. "Sit out Karin. We'll be fine."_

"What's wrong?" Oh right, Hitsugaya remembered. He wasn't in 78th district. He was in Karakura, and was faced with the prospect of a very different soccer game. He had never wanted to play soccer again. But after seeing this girl's injury and hearing her brush it off so trivially, he knew he couldn't very well sit this one out.

"I guess I have no choice," he sighed. "We just have to win, right?" The girl nodded her affirmation and Hitsugaya tagged himself in.

The game was easy really. The 78th district ruffians had been better than these clowns! Hitsugaya quickly scored four goals to tie the game, then stole the ball and passed it to the girl to shoot the winning goal. Her team cheered with excitement as the referee blew the final whistle. The girl smiled at them, then approached Hitsugaya.

"Toushiro, it's all thanks to you!" she said happily.

"You scored the winning goal, didn't you?" Hitsugaya replied offhandedly. "More importantly, I have something to discuss."

"Wh-what is it?" the girl asked, clearly concerned by his serious tone. Hitsugaya didn't exactly know how to go about explaining himself. What was he supposed to say? I think you're the reincarnation of my best friend!? Even he knew that that would not be particularly well received. But before he had the chance to come up with something, he was interrupted by the arrival of a menos, who tore a hole in the sky and attacked the field where they were standing.

Hitsugaya had one thought; protect this girl at all costs. But he was not expecting her to run out and attempt to take on the menos by herself. Well actually, he probably should have expected it. It was exactly something Karin would have done. But there wasn't time to think about that at the moment. This girl wasn't Karin. She wasn't a shinigami and a soccer ball just was not an effective weapon against a menos. Popping a gikongon into his mouth, he drew Hyourinmaru and shunpoed between himself and the girl, stopping the menos's fist just in time.

Needless to say, Karin was in a state of shock. Sure, a giant green and purple monster had just jumped out of the sky, and sure, her new friend had just revealed himself to be a shinigami, but that wasn't what surprised her the most. It was the words that came out of his mouth.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!" The words jarred something in Karin's newfound bank of memories. But this time, it wasn't a single memory that replayed itself in her head like a movie. It was more a collection of feelings and thoughts that had absolutely nothing to do with her current situation. The sound of those words gave her a rush, like she was ready for an intense battle, while at the same time, she also had a powerful desire to protect the person uttering them; like whoever said those words was the most important person in the world to her. Well, she had been feeling that way for a while now, but this sensation just reinforced it.

Hitsugaya dispatched with the menos with one slice of his sword, then came over to help her up. She took the opportunity to ask him if he knew where Ichigo was, him being a shinigami and all, and Hitsugaya's shock at learning that she was Ichigo's sister was apparent. As he was reassuring her that Ichigo was strong enough to take care of himself, he heard a voice calling him from the other end of the soccer field.

"Taicho!" Matsumoto sang. "You're safe!"

"She's a shinigami too?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," Hitsugaya confirmed. "She's my subordinate."

"You have subordinates?" the girl exclaimed, clearly impressed.

"Kind of," he said with a sigh. He wasn't in the mood to explain. "You're late, Matsumoto," he reprimanded.

"My apologies," she replied. Then, as if suddenly realizing who he was standing with, she pointed at the girl and said in surprise, "Huh, taicho? This kid…"

"She's Kurosaki Ichigo's sister," he cut her off. That would keep Matsumoto entertained for a bit and he didn't want her mentioning anything weird about reincarnation in front of her. Matsumoto introduced herself as Hitsugaya's fukutaicho, and the girl seemed to suddenly realize how elite he was.

"You're pretty cool, Toushiro!" she said brightly, slapping his forehead. "And you're still just an elementary student!" She ruffled his hair just like Karin used to do, but Hitsugaya was too busy glowering over being called an elementary student to notice.

"Elementary student," he rumbled.

"What is it?" the girl asked innocently as Matsumoto broke down into laughter.

"How long are you going to keep thinking that?!" he yelled, brushing her hand away. "I'm not an elementary student!" The girl chuckled.

"No, you're just a spoiled rich kid!" she teased, and Matsumoto stopped laughing instantly. Hitsugaya froze. His brain was reeling.

"Spoiled…spoiled rich kid?" he stuttered.

"Wow, sorry," the girl apologized quickly. "I don't think I realized how rude that sounded until I said it out loud. It just kind of came out…Oi, are you alright?!" Hitsugaya was holding his head in his hands and taking deep, calming breaths.

"No, it's ok," he mumbled. "I…I'll see you later." He did his best to bring his breathing back to normal as he staggered off the soccer field without much thought to where he was headed. Whatever sign or signal he had been searching for, whatever proof he needed to investigate this reincarnation matter further, that most certainly had been it. He decided that, tonight, he was going to take Matsumoto's advice and give Ukitake a call.

**The return of the spoiled rich kid!**


	23. Do You Remember Me?

**You can all blame this site for my delay in posting. I was going to post earlier, but the site wasn't letting me :( Oh well, here's the long awaited post-episode 132 chapter!**

"You wished to speak to me, Hitsugaya-kun?" Ukitake said kindly. Hitsugaya was back in Inoue's living room and had just called Soul Society on the wall sized communicator. He wasn't really supposed to use it for things like this, but at the moment, Hitsugaya didn't really care.

"Yes," Hitsugaya replied. "I know this is an unusual question, but was wondering what you knew about reincarnation." Ukitake frowned.

"It's very rare," he said thoughtfully. "I've only heard of a handful of cases. Why are you interested? Do you think you found someone?"

"Maybe," Hitsugaya replied vaguely. He had no desire to tell Ukitake who it was, and Ukitake was at least polite enough not to pry.

"Well," Ukitake said with a sigh. "I honestly don't know much myself, but I do know that reincarnations can happen when a soul has a vitally pressing reason why it cannot die properly. A bond with the world that is so strong that it simply can't disappear from it entirely." Hitsugaya's eyes opened wide as realization dawned on him.

"Something like a vow on a zanpakto," he whispered. That was it! Karin had sworn on her soul that she wouldn't die in that fight. But she _had_ died. Her promise couldn't stem that blood flow, or heal the irreparable damage done to her organs. But that promise could keep her soul from disintegrating into spirit particles. It had hung around, in the form of Kamikaze, for years, until it was reborn again as Ichigo's younger sister. It all made sense! It really was possible.

"Ukitake," Hitsugaya said, ignoring the confused look on the man's face. "Do you know if these reincarnates ever regain their memories? The one's from their past lives?" Ukitake shook his head.

"I'm sorry Hitsugaya-kun, but I really have no idea. It's possible, but it's not guaranteed. I would assume however, that a trigger would help. Some person, object, or feeling to jolt their memory. But I really don't know. It's worth a try though." Hitsugaya nodded. It _was_ worth a try.

"Thank you Ukitake," he said gratefully.

"Oh, Hitsugaya-kun," Ukitake added. "When her memories come back, say hello to Karin-san for me." Hitsugaya gaped at him.

"How did you…?"

"It was written all over your face," he said with a smile. And with that, the screen went blank, leaving Hitsugaya with more hopeful thoughts than he had had in a long time.

oooooooooooooooo

Hitsugaya took a steadying breath and looked up at the ominous door in front of him. He had been in this house before, but under very different circumstances and that time, he had come in unseen through the window. He still had no idea what exactly he was about to do, but he knew he had to try something. Mustering up his courage, he knocked on the Kurosaki's door.

A cute blond girl answered.

"Can I help you?" she asked sweetly.

"Um," Hitsugaya began awkwardly. "I was wondering if I could speak to…" he paused. He still had no idea what this girl's name was! So he settled for the old standby. "Kurosaki-san," he finished. The girl smiled, then turned over her shoulder and yelled,

"Karin-chan! There's someone here to see you!"

"So her name is Karin huh?" Hitsugaya thought. "Figures." He didn't have to wait long before Karin flew down the stairs and skidded towards the door, nearly slipping in her socked feet.

"Toushiro!" she exclaimed. She had had another dream about him the night before. They were having a fight. Something about her calling him a child. Then they attacked each other with swords and made up. Very strange. She was incredibly excited to see him. It was as if just seeing his face was enough to brighten up her day. But she still couldn't understand exactly why she felt this way.

"Kurosaki," he said, still not able to call her Karin just yet. "I was wondering if you would come for a walk with me. I've got something important to talk to you about."

"I assumed that was it," Karin replied, joining him outside and closing the door behind her. "You wanted to talk to me about something yesterday too, didn't you?" Hitsugaya nodded, and the two fell into step together as they started walking down the street. Hitsugaya was silent for a while, mulling over exactly how to start this rather unusual conversation.

"Well?" Karin prompted finally. "Did you want to talk or what?" Hitsugaya sighed. It was now or never.

"Well, the truth is, that you remind me of someone."

"Who?" Karin asked curiously.

"Someone very special to me. My best friend." He sighed and looked at the ground. Karin chuckled.

"You talk about him like he's dead," she said with a laugh, but stopped abruptly at the furious glare Hitsugaya shot her.

"That's because she is!" he growled. Damn it, he wasn't supposed to get angry! But Karin seemed to understand that she was out of line.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I didn't realize. So, so this person, was she…um…?"

"She's the most important person in the world to me," he said, having managed to calm down somewhat. "I owe her everything. The reason I became a shinigami, the fact that I'm a taicho, the person I am today, is all because of her."

"Wow," Karin marveled. "It's amazing that you had someone like that in your life. And I remind you of her?"

"In a way," Hitsugaya replied airily. He took a deep breath. "Kurosaki. Does the name Kamikaze mean anything to you?" Karin checked, and her eyes opened wide in shock.

"Kamikaze," she whispered. She _did_ know that name! It was something…something really really important to her. As important to her as her own soul.

"Kamikaze," she repeated, kneeling down and grabbing her head as fragments of memories of things that she couldn't remember ever having happened crashed down on her. An image of a sword, a brilliant, powerful sword appeared in her mind. She instantly knew that sword. Every mark, every nick, every scratch. She could almost feel her hand closing satisfactorily on the hilt. And then she had another feeling of déjà vu. For the umpteenth time in the last few days, a memory of something that had never occurred to her ran through her mind. But this one was so real, she actually felt like she was there.

_She and Hitsugaya were sitting on the edge of a cliff. There was a spectacular sunset in the background, but neither of them were watching it. They were too busy staring intently into each other's eyes. Reaching down to the sword at her side, Karin drew it and held it out in front of her. The blade reflected the last light from the setting sun and it lit up her face like a torch._

_"I swear to you, Hitsugaya Toushiro," she said seriously. "I swear to you on Kamikaze that I will not die in this fight."_

_"Karin," Hitsugaya gasped. "You can't do that."_

_"I know exactly what I'm doing Toush," she said, her eyes alight with fierce determination. "Will you accept my promise to you?" Hitsugaya hesitated for a moment, then reached out and placed his hand next to Karin's on the hilt._

_"I accept," he said honestly. As the words left his lips, Kamikaze began to glow, emitting a dazzling white light. The wind picked up, blowing fiercely through the clearing and spiraling around them like a mini tornado, rustling the grass and whipping through their hair and clothing violently. Karin and Hitsugaya remained as still as possible, their eyes locked together, their hands glued side by side on Kamikaze's hilt as the zanpakto accepted the vow. Eventually, the wind died down and Kamikaze returned to normal. The promise was sealed._

"A…a sword," Karin said finally as the memory faded. "And a promise. A promise not die. A promise that I made…to you." She looked up at Hitsugaya and was utterly and totally stunned to see tears in his eyes. He knelt down beside her and took her hands in his own.

"Karin," he said emotionally, looking deeply into her eyes. "Do you remember me?" He knew he was being stupid. He knew that she would probably think he was insane. But at the moment, he couldn't bring himself to care.

Karin looked into his eyes. Those intense, emerald eyes that were shimmering with a myriad of emotions so diverse she couldn't sort them all out. Karin's brain seemed to be on hyper-drive. It was as if her body didn't belong to her anymore and was moving of its own accord. And, before Karin could stop herself, she had leaned forwards and captured Hitsugaya's lips in a passionate kiss. Hitsugaya couldn't help himself. He responded to the kiss fervently and eagerly. His brain wasn't really functioning either at the moment. He wrapped his arms around Karin's shoulders like he had dreamed of doing a thousand times, but thought was impossible. Everything was a jumble of emotions too complex to decipher, but for once, Hitsugaya Toushiro let everything go and poured his soul into kissing the girl in his arms.

The longer they kissed, the more Karin remembered. It was like a life she had never known was flowing into her head. But instead of the snippets of dream-like memories she had been having, these were real. They didn't feel like someone else's thoughts and feelings imposing themselves on her; these belonged to her. And this boy who was holding her was at the forefront of many of them. He was her trusted companion, her best friend, and the person that meant more to her than anyone else in the world. Thirty years ago, she had sworn on her soul that she wouldn't die. That she would survive to return to him. And today, Kurosaki Karin was keeping that promise.

Eventually, their lips separated, and they pulled back enough to look at one another properly. Hitsugaya was in a state of shock, but Karin seemed to recover surprising quickly considering what she had just gone through.

"Wow Toush," she said, grinning broadly. "For someone with no experience, you're quite the little kisser!"

"Karin!" Hitsugaya gasped. He still couldn't bring himself to believe it.

"Yes spoiled rich kid?" she teased.

"You…you remember?"

"Everything." She smiled warmly at him, then fell into his arms and hugged him close. Hitsugaya held onto her for dear life, the enormity of everything still digesting in his overworked brain.

"Toush," Karin said seriously from her place in his shoulder. "I need to tell you something. I should have told you before that fight with Murata, but I guess I was just so confident I would win, I didn't see a reason to. But I need you to know. I…I love you." Hitsugaya squeezed her even tighter and kissed the top of her head.

"I know," he whispered as a smile spread across his face. "I love you too."

**Squeal! I'm so giddy, I had so much fun writing this kiss scene. I've been looking forward to it the whole story :)  
**

**Unless someone gives me something **_**really**_** compelling to write about, the next chapter will be the last one. I don't want this story to turn into a traditional HitsuKarin story (there are plenty of those), and since they are back together, I don't see a reason to drag the story out. Plus, I'm out of new adventures for them. (In addition, if there's something you'd like to see me write that doesn't relate to this story, I'm always open for opinions :)**


	24. Forgiveness, Friends, and Family

**Ok, you convinced me, so here's a bonus chapter since I love you all so much :) Although, I apologize in advance that there is no Ichigo in this chapter. Since I tried to set this story in cannon as much as possible, and Ichigo is currently off training with the Vizard (Yuzu has already pointed out his absence), I couldn't bring him in. Sorry.**

**Oh, and I'm going to complain here, since I think some of you may share my pain and I don't know anyone else who wants to hear me whine about this. Hitsugaya **_**finally**_** got a little decent airtime in this weird filler arc, and whoever animated him did a **_**horrible**_** job! What's with making him look so strange? I couldn't even look at him! And that whole scene seemed really OOC if you ask me. Sorry, but that really bothered me. At least Ichigo called him a tough guy. That was awesome!**

"Tell me everything!" Karin demanded. They were sitting on the river bank, watching the water flow lazily by. Hitsugaya's head was still up in the clouds, and he had an insatiable urge to pinch himself constantly to prove that this wasn't all a dream. Part of him was still convinced it was.

"Everything?" he asked incredulously. "That's quite a statement. Where does 'everything' begin?" Karin grinned and pushed him playfully.

"You haven't changed a bit, have you Toush?" she teased. If Hitsugaya felt like he was in a dream, it was nothing compared to Karin's condition. Although, her mental state felt much less like she was in a dream and much more like she had just woken up from a very long sleep. She still had all her memories and feelings from being Kurosaki Karin, but now, her life seemed to extend far beyond that. She was a whole new person and yet, she wasn't. Her personality had changed very little across her two lifetimes. It was simply the accumulation of experiences that had been altered. She felt older and wiser, and at the same time, she was still a child. But Karin was durable and flexible, and saw absolutely no reason why she couldn't be both.

"That's not fair!" Hitsugaya retorted. "I've changed plenty!" Karin ruffled his hair.

"But you're still my spoiled rich kid!" she stated satisfactorily. For once, Hitsugaya wasn't bothered by that inane nick-name. He almost liked it. It was further proof that Karin was back in his life. And, finally, after all these years of pain and heartbreak, in his arms. To emphasize that point, he draped his arm over her shoulder and gave it an affectionate squeeze. Karin leaned her head on his shoulder and took his other hand in hers, stroking his fingers lovingly.

"So what do you want to know?" Hitsugaya asked, thoroughly enjoying Karin's inspection of his rough and calloused hand.

"Well," she replied thoughtfully, "for starters, you can tell me how exactly _you_ ended up with _my_ taicho spot!" Hitsugaya sighed. He hated reliving that moment. It was his least favorite memory. But, although it was a mute point now, telling Karin that story meant facing one of those fears that Matsumoto had so un-tactfully pointed out.

"Toush?" Karin asked with concern. His face had darkened visibly. "Are you alright?" Hitsugaya didn't reply. He didn't know exactly how to tell Karin what had happened. But, as Karin looked up at his forlorn expression, she found that she already knew.

"You avenged me, didn't you," she said gently. "After I died, you challenged Murata and won. And you had to kill a clone of me to do it. And you've been beating yourself up about it ever since." Hitsugaya gaped at her.

"How did you…?"

"I know you too well for you to hide stuff like that from me," she laughed. "The look in your eyes told me everything. And how dare you not know me well enough to know that I'm not mad. In fact, I'm downright proud of you!"

"Really?" Hitsugaya gasped. He hadn't really thought she would be mad, but proud? That he had succeeded where she had failed? That he had murdered her image in cold blood? He had not expected pride to come from that.

"Really!" Karin insisted. She lifted her hand to chest and, without warning, pushed him so that he toppled backwards, with Karin lying on top of him.

"But you can apologize if you want," she smirked, a gleam in her eye. Hitsugaya got the message immediately. He entwined his fingers in her hair and guided her head down to meet his eager lips.

ooooooooooooooooo

Hitsugaya waited impatiently for Karin to get out of school. He wanted to see her yes, but he was also afraid that if she took too long to leave, they would be late. He checked the time on his phone again. 3:29:57…3:29:58…3:29:59…

Ring. The school bell signaled the end of the day.

"Finally," Hitsugaya mumbled under his breath. The front door of the school burst open and a hoard of kids stormed out, very anxious for freedom. Hitsugaya searched desperately for Karin, and she didn't disappoint him. After struggling a bit against the mass of humanity blocking her way, Karin finally broke away from the group and ran up to Hitsugaya.

"You know, your white hair is really convenient sometimes," she said by way of greeting. "It's so much easier to find you in a crowd. Especially when everyone else doesn't tower over you."

"Hey," Hitsugaya warned, but Karin simply chuckled.

"Kurosaki!" a classmate called out, and Hitsugaya looked up to see more than a few pairs of eyes on them. "Who's the punk?"

"Who are you calling a punk?" Hitsugaya began, but Karin cut him off.

"He's my boyfriend!" she announced proudly. Hitsugaya suddenly found himself staring into the backs of more throats than he had ever seen before as every jaw in the vicinity dropped. His cheeks flushed. Karin hadn't called him her boyfriend before. Their relationship didn't exactly fit the stereotypical image of a standard couple. Well how could it, since the "get to know you" stage had occurred in another lifetime. But, Hitsugaya supposed, that description was acceptable for the situation. But that didn't make it any less embarrassing to hear himself being described that way to a bunch of over eager elementary students.

"I don't believe it!" a girl whispered.

"I thought you didn't date," another pointed out.

"Prove it!" a boy piped up, and Karin grinned mischievously. Before Hitsugaya could react, Karin had pressed her lips to his in a dramatic, and rather wet kiss. She pulled back and stared triumphantly at the crowd. Hitsugaya felt his face start to burn.

"See ya!" she waved, then she grabbed Hitsugaya's hand and pulled him away. He was having trouble moving.

"Don't _ever_ do that again!" he barked when they had put enough distance between them and the crowd.

"Do what?" she asked slyly. "Kiss you?" Hitsugaya glared at her.

"You know what I mean. I'm not Sentaro."

"I don't recall Kiyone ever kissing him in public," Karin teased. "Speaking of which, how are they?"

"Co-3rd seats of 13th squad," Hitsugaya told her. "They started idolizing Ukitake taicho once you weren't there to hold the position of deity in their lives anymore, and they worked their way through the ranks."

"Wow," Karin marveled. "Good for them. I'd love to see them again." Hitsugaya didn't respond.

"So where are we going?" she asked, noticing that they were not headed towards the park, the river, or her home.

"It's a surprise," he said mysteriously. And no matter how much she pried, Hitsugaya wouldn't budge. But, unfortunately for Karin, the surprise turned out to be rather disappointing.

"Urahara's?" she asked incredulously. "Why on earth…?" But her question was answered as a black and blond blob tore out of the house and barreled straight into her.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! You're ALIVE! You're really alive!"

"Ki…Kiyone!" Karin gasped.

"Oi, Kiyone's not the only one that came to see you," said an annoyed voice from the doorway.

"Sentaro?" Karin exclaimed, a grin spreading across her face. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to see you idiot!" Sentaro answered.

"Don't call her an idiot, idiot!" Kiyone retorted. Karin burst out laughing.

"Wow, you two _really_ haven't changed, have you?" she said joyfully.

"Well, that one hasn't," Kiyone said, pointing a finger over her shoulder at Sentaro, who swelled with indignation.

"Look who's talking!" he ridiculed. "You haven't grown an inch in the past thirty years, have you?" Hitsugaya rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, they're still pretty much the same," he said to Karin as Kiyone and Sentaro started going at each other. Karin chuckled happily.

For the next several hours the four friends sat together, filling in the time gap, reminiscing about the old days, and generally laughing and arguing. Hitsugaya had actually spent very little time with Kiyone and Sentaro over the past few decades. After Karin's death, he had hid in his shell for a long time, distancing himself from his old companions. He had never been as close to them as he was to Karin, and with her gone, it seemed like the vital link in their friendship had been broken. Hitsugaya found himself regretting that now.

"Hey Karin," Kiyone began. "Now that you have your memories back, are you going to come back to Soul Society?" Karin shook her head.

"No. Toush and I have already discussed it. I'm going to stay here. I've got family and a life here, and as much as I love you all, I'm not willing to kill myself to come back just yet. I'll be there eventually. Besides, I'm not a shinigami right now, and Kamikaze doesn't want to come out for me. I've tried calling her, but I don't think zanpaktos typically appear to souls when they're alive."

"What about the method Urahara used on Ichigo?" Sentaro suggested.

"No," Hitsugaya stated flatly, and Kiyone and Sentaro stared at him.

"It's too dangerous," he continued. "It could kill her."

"But isn't that what you want?" Kiyone teased, and Hitsugaya shot her a death glare. Karin laughed.

"Toush still doesn't think I can handle myself," she chided, but the look she gave him was fond.

"If Karin wants to stay here, then there's no reason to risk her life just for the chance to fight some hollows. They'll be plenty of time for that later."

"Yeah, _when she's dead_!" Kiyone pointed out, and she and Karin started laughing.

"Oh no, what time is it?!" Karin gasped suddenly. Hitsugaya looked at his phone.

"6:55. Why?"

"Dinner!" she cried, bolting to her feet. "If I'm not home at 7:00 sharp, oyaji will have a panic attack. Not that he doesn't always have one anyway. Hey!" she said on sudden inspiration. "Why don't you guys come!? It'll be fun!" Hitsugaya was about to protest that they shouldn't get too involved in human affairs, but before he could, Kiyone answered for all of them.

"We'd love to!"

"I was going to say that!" Sentaro shouted, and Hitsugaya knew he had no choice but to follow.

oooooooooooooooooo

They let Karin enter the house first, which turned out to be a smart idea.

"Oh joy, my lovely daughter has come ho…" but Isshin was cut off mid sentence since his mouth was occupied by Karin's fist.

"Yuzu," Karin called, shaking her father's front tooth off her hand. "Sorry for the late notice, but I brought some friends home."

"That's ok!" Yuzu replied brightly from the kitchen. "There's plenty of food."

"Oh, Karin, who are these strapping young people?" Isshin asked enthusiastically, showing off the hole in his smile.

"This is Toushiro, Kiyone, and Sentaro," she introduced. "And don't ask questions." With that, she directed her friends into the kitchen. Hitsugaya stared quizzically at Isshin, who had just run up to a portrait of an attractive woman to cry his eyes out. Hitsugaya was seriously concerned for the man's sanity.

"Is he alright?" he whispered to Karin. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, he's always like that. Just ignore him." But, as Hitsugaya was soon to find out, one could no easier ignore Isshin than a bright pink elephant playing the saxophone.

"This is my sister Yuzu," Karin said when they entered the kitchen. Yuzu looked up from her place at the stove and smiled warmly at them.

"It's wonderful to meet you all…wait," she paused when she saw Hitsugaya. "Aren't you the person Karin-chan kissed after school?" Hitsugaya blushed.

"WHAT?!" Isshin cried, bounding into the room. "My little Karin had finally found true love! Oh, your mother would be so proud!" Karin, for once, was at a loss as to what to say. She couldn't exactly say that she _wasn't_ in love, since that would be a bold faced lie, but she also didn't want to give her father the satisfaction of knowing that it was true. So she settled for giving him a black eye.

"You're annoying oyaji," she groaned. Isshin pouted.

"Oh, if Ichigo were here, what would he say?" Isshin wondered aloud. "I know! Let's reenact his reaction!"

"What…?" Karin began, but Isshin answered her unasked question by grabbing a nearby mop (which conveniently happened to be orange, you know Yuzu), placing it on his head, and shouting in a high pitched voice,

"How dare you bring a boy into this house?! You're too young!" Isshin removed the mop.

"But Ichigo," he whined in his own voice, wagging his behind as if he had a tail. "Karin is growing into such a fine young woman!" Mop went back on.

"No sister of mine is going on a date while I can still breathe!" he continued in his high pitched squeaky voice. Mop came off again.

"But think about how attractive the grandchildren will be!" he exclaimed. "I mean, look at the eyes on that boy…"

"And here is where Ichi-nii slugs you," Karin barked, giving his right eye a black and blue mark to match the one on his left. Kiyone and Sentaro were on the floor, hugging their sides to keep themselves together as they laughed their brains out. Yuzu had tears, of both joy and sorrow, running down her face. Hitsugaya was crimson with embarrassment, and Karin was just irritated.

"Welcome to my family," she mumbled to Hitsugaya as everyone else composed themselves.

"I can see why you want to stay with them," he said sarcastically. Karin pushed him and laughed.

"At least you finally have a family that loves you," he continued as he watched Yuzu dig ice out of the fridge to place on Isshin's rapidly swelling face.

"I _did_ have a family that loved me," Karin said pointedly. "I had you. And, maybe those clowns," she added, glaring at Kiyone and Sentaro who had started to bicker about who could do a better impression of Ichigo. And, despite the horribly awkward situation, Hitsugaya grinned.

**I hope you enjoyed this extra chapter. I tried to slip in a false Ichigo moment since he couldn't be here himself. I hope it worked. Anyway, the next chapter will be the last one. Too much filler might spoil it. Sorry.**


	25. Happily Ever After

**I'm sorry to everyone who has asked me to keep this story going, but this is going to be the last chapter. I just don't think I can take it anywhere else without ruining it. I'll just ask in advance, "please don't shoot me."**

Karin was walking home from soccer practice when she stopped, smirked, turned to a nearby tree and called,

"Toush, you can't hide from me! Get down here!" Hitsugaya jumped from his branch and landed at her side.

"Still sharp as ever," he complimented.

"With your reiatsu?" she said incredulously. "Even Ichi-nii would have no trouble finding you. Now where's my kiss?" Hitsugaya smirked, then snaked his arms around her waist and kissed her. It still gave him a rush every single time he did it.

"Hey Karin," he said seriously when they broke apart. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Is it about your fight today?" she asked knowingly as they headed to the base of the tree and sat down. Karin may not be a shinigami anymore, but she would have to be an idiot not to notice the reiatsu bursts indicating that a major battle was taking place. Hitsugaya nodded.

"They're getting stronger. That Luppi Espada I fought should have died instantly with that attack, but he didn't. And we still can't locate Inoue Orihime. What I'm saying is…"

"You think you might have to leave soon," Karin answered for him. Hitsugaya nodded.

"We are in the middle of a war after all, and I am a taicho. I have my responsibilities in Soul Society and…"

"Stop Toush," Karin cut him off. "I get it. Probably better than anyone. You don't have to explain it to me. Go. Fight your war. Then, come back." Hitsugaya looked at her with grave eyes.

"That's just it, I don't know if I will come back. What if I die?" Karin started to laugh.

"You're hardly about too…"

"Don't overestimate my abilities Karin!" he interrupted her. "I'm at a serious disadvantage here. I honestly don't know if I'll survive."

"Wow, you've become rather confident in yourself," Karin said sarcastically.

"Cautious," he corrected her. "I know when I'm up against someone stronger than me, and this seems to be the case." They sat in silence for a few moments.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Karin asked finally.

"Train," Hitsugaya replied. "Get stronger so that I have a hope of winning this. And, I'm going to make a promise." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a gikongan and popped it into his mouth. Once he was in his shinigami form, he drew Hyourinmaru and held him out to Karin, exactly as she had done so many years ago.

"I'm going to swear to you on Hyourinmaru that I will survive the war and return to you," he said seriously, his face lined with conviction. Karin looked at him.

"Toush, is this really necessary…?"

"Yes," Hitsugaya stated firmly. "Yes it is." Karin wavered for a moment, then placed her hand next to his on the hilt.

"Then I accept your promise to me," she said sincerely, fully understanding how important this ceremony was. Hyourinmaru began to glow, a pale blue light that lit up the entire area around them. They heard thunder overhead, despite the fact that the day had been beautifully clear before that. A thin layer of ice crept its way out of the hilt and over their hands, freezing their skin to the sword. It remained that way for several moments, then splintered and cracked as Hyourinmaru's glow died down.

"We did it again," Karin said at last. "We made a promise no one is ever supposed to make."

"Yes," Hitsugaya affirmed. "But the last one was totally worth it." And with that, he leaned forwards and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

oooooooooooooooo

It had been six months. Six months since Hitsugaya had made that promise to her. Six months since Ichigo, after coming home bloodied and bruised one night, disappeared without a trace. Karin knew they were off fighting the war, and the fact that she couldn't help out bothered her almost as much as their absence. But, despite her newfound memories, she was in a living body, and she wasn't a shinigami. So she was stuck in Karakura, without news, waiting. All she wanted now was for her loved ones to return, safe and sound.

It was evening and Karin was just getting ready for bed when she felt an incredibly powerful reiatsu outside. She gasped. She knew that reiatsu.

"Ichi-nii…" she whispered, rushing to her window sill and leaning out.

"Ichii-nii!" she cried, and her orange haired idiot of a brother looked up at her, still in his shinigami clothes.

"Yo, Karin, how is everything?" He jumped and Karin just barely managed to back up in time to let him sail in through her window.

"How have you…?" he began, but he was cut off by a powerful right hook to the jaw.

"How dare you disappear for so long without a word!?" Karin screeched. "Yuzu cried her eyes out every day and I had to go to sleep every night wondering if you were even still alive! How could you do that to us?!" Ichigo scratched his head awkwardly.

"Sorry Karin, but there wasn't exactly a mail box where we were." Karin was no less calm, but she had other questions to ask, and since beating Ichigo to a pulp would only hinder her interrogation, she refrained.

"So," she prompted. "Did you win?" Ichigo's face brightened up immediately.

"Yeah," he replied happily. "We won." Karin breathed a tremendous sigh of relief, but there was one thing that was bugging her even more.

"And, Toush, er…Hitsugaya taicho" she asked finally. "How is he?" The smile fell from Ichigo's face and Karin felt her heart drop right out of her body and through the floor.

"He and Aizen took each other out," Ichigo said finally. "Man, that kid was strong. I've never seen anything like it. Aizen didn't stand a chance. But the wounds that bastard inflicted were just too deep, and 4th squad was so taxed as it was…wait, how _do_ you know Toushiro? I heard him and Rangiku-san talking about you a few times but the little brat wouldn't tell me anything. I don't know that I trust him around you. But I guess that's not really important anymore is it?" Karin's shock at hearing that was the only thing that kept her from bursting into tears. He was really gone. He hadn't kept his promise. He wasn't coming back.

"He uh, he actually wanted you to have something," Ichigo said awkwardly. "He told Rangiku-san right before he died, and because she couldn't leave Soul Society right now, she asked me to bring it to you. I don't know why on earth he wanted you to have it, but…" Ichigo reached behind his back and pulled out a sword. But it wasn't his zanpakto. It was Hyourinmaru.

"Rangiku-san ordered me to get this to you at all costs," Ichigo continued. "Although I can't for the life of me figure out what Toushiro thought you were going to do with it. You know, a shinigami's zanpakto is supposed to disappear when they die. No one could explain why Hyourinmaru didn't do the same…"

"Please Ichi-nii," Karin croaked. "Please, leave me alone for now." Ichigo gave her a puzzled look, then shrugged.

"Alright," he said. He gave her one last look of concern and confusion before disappearing out the window. Karin sat on her bed in a daze, staring at the sword she knew so well. And though she tried to fight it, the tears that had been threatening to fall finally leaked out.

"I hate you!" she told the sword as her tears dripped onto the sheath. "You come into my life, bring me all these complicated feelings and memories that I was living just fine without, steal my heart forever, and then die! I hate you!" Suddenly, anger overwhelmed her grief.

"I HATE YOU!" she screamed, throwing the sword out the window. The broken glass shattered all over her room, and as Karin huffed and puffed, she suddenly realized what she had done. Racing out of her room she ignored Yuzu's concerned look, ducked under her father's arm and bolted out the door. After a minute or two of searching, she found Hyourinmaru, stuck in a bush.

"I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely to the sword. "I just…miss him, that's all. But Toush promised me he would come back. I came back. So maybe, one day, he will too. And until that day comes, I'll wait for him. Because I love him. He waited for me. So now, I can do the same."

oooooooooooooooo

_Thirty Years Later_

Kurosaki Karin pushed away her completed paperwork and sighed. No matter how many years she did this for, she could never get used to all the office work. The dojo was where she really wanted to be. And Matsumoto was no help, as always.

After dying suddenly in a car crash at the age of eighteen, Kurosaki Karin had been welcomed back into the Gotei 13 immediately. With her memories intact from both her two previous lives, it was decided that she didn't have to waste time going through the Shinigami Academy again. Besides, Soul Society was in desperate need of taichos, and Karin already had bankai. So she had finally taken up the mantle of 10th squad taicho, a position she had died for once already. Everyone thought it was fitting and Karin wasn't complaining; she liked Matsumoto, even though she couldn't possibly explain why. And although it was a little strange at first, since Matsumoto had once been her direct superior, things seemed to work out quite nicely between them.

Karin loved her life in Soul Society. The living world had been fine for a spell, but she really felt at home here in Seireitei. Heck, she could fight with a sword everyday! How amazing was that! The only regret she had about dying was that she had lost Hyourinmaru in the process. She had asked Ichigo about him when he came to visit, but Ichigo insisted that the sword had disappeared upon Karin's death.

Karin sighed. She had to take Kiyone shopping for her wedding dress that afternoon. Again. No matter how many times Karin told her that she was not the right person for the job, and that Sentaro would be much happier if she showed up in her underwear instead of a dress, Kiyone was adamant. She wanted Karin's help as she tromped from store to store, day after day, and there was nothing Karin could do about it. Downing her last bit of tea, Karin picked up Kamikaze and stood to go. But she was thwarted in her desire to leave the office when her hyperactive fukutaicho burst through the door.

"Taicho!" she sang cheerily.

"You're late Rangiku-san," Karin said with a smirk. "I already finished the paperwork." Matsumoto pouted.

"Oh, that's really a shame!" she said without conviction and Karin chuckled.

"Hey taicho," Matsumoto chimed. "Have you seen that Academy student? The one they're saying is taicho class after his first year?" Karin shook her head.

"I've heard rumors, but that's all. Frankly, I'm not sure I believe them."

"Well, I just saw him for the first time myself," Matsumoto continued. "Handsome young man. White hair, green eyes, and they say his zanpakto is an ice dragon. You don't think…" but Karin was already gone. Matsumoto smiled happily.

"If Hitsugaya taicho thinks he's getting his squad back once his memories have returned, he's got another thing coming. Karin taicho will fight him to the death over it. Although, that might be fun to watch."

oooooooooooooooooo

Sometimes, there is a friendship so strong, it lasts multiple lifetimes. Sometimes, there is a love so powerful, it traverses universes. What happens to a shinigami when he dies? Can you really die _again_? Wasn't he dead to begin with? Is there a Soul Society for those that die in Soul Society? Or is life a never ending wheel, destined to revolve for all eternity, recycling dead souls into new bodies, with a new life, a new face, a new name? We may never know the answers these profound questions. They are beyond the realm of human comprehension. But two lovers, who persevered though time, distance, and death, to finally reach their happily ever after, may begin to provide us with some insight.

**The End (Sigh)**

**I've got to admit, this chapter came out of nowhere. I sat down to write your standard, 10 years later kind of thing with flowers and bunnies (not exactly, but you know the kind of sap I mean) and an over protective Ichigo, but for some reason, this came out instead. I can't **_**believe**_** I killed Hitsugaya, I never in a million years pictured myself doing something sacrilegious like that, but in this case, I think it actually worked. I mean, he came back right?**

**Anyway, thank you all a thousand times for your love and support. This has been my most well received story, as well as being my longest, and I thank each and every one of you for keeping me going. This wasn't always the easiest story to write, but your amazing reviews made me grin so manically that I worked as hard as I could to make it meet your expectations. I hope I succeeded. Thank you again, I love you all!**


	26. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

**People seemed kind of disappointed that I skipped the reunion scene at the end, so I wrote a oneshot sequel of that scene. It's called "Reunion". I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading! I love you all!  
**

**-GrnEydDvl**


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